UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killing of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a leading figure in last year’s protests, and called on authorities to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
He urged the authorities to proceed with “a prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation, consistent with international human rights standards” and called for restraint as Bangladesh heads towards legislative elections in February 2026, his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at a regular press briefing in New York.
Mr. Guterres also called for calm, urging all parties to “refrain from all violence, reduce tensions and exercise the greatest restraint in order to preserve a peaceful electoral environment.”
This murder also aroused concern from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who expressed he was “deeply troubled” by Mr. Hadi’s death after being shot last week.
“Retaliation and revenge will only deepen divisions and undermine the rights of all.” Mr. Türk said in a statement published in Geneva, echoing calls for accountability from those responsible.
New troubles
Youth leader Hadi, 32, was shot by masked attackers on December 12 as he left a mosque in Dhaka, according to media reports. He was airlifted to a hospital in Singapore for treatment, where he later died from his injuries.
Following the news of his death on Thursday, protests erupted in several regions of Bangladesh.
Media reports indicated that thousands of protesters took to the streets of the capital, with some buildings set on fire or vandalized. Authorities said several properties, including buildings housing major newspapers, were set aflame and journalists were allegedly attacked during the unrest.
A fragile political moment
Troubles arise against a backdrop of dramatic political change last year. In July 2024, student-led demonstrations began with demands for reforms to civil service employment quotas, which were met with violent repression by security forces and pro-government groups.
Although the quota system was later withdrawn, the protests expanded into a national movement calling for the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and accountability for the violent suppression of protests.
At the beginning of August, the situation significantly deteriorated. Sheikh Hasina, who has ruled Bangladesh since 2009 after an earlier term from 1996 to 2001, fled the country on August 5 under growing pressure.
A UN investigation later revealed that up to 1,400 people – including many children – may have been killed during the unrest of July and August, leaving thousands injured.
Protect fundamental freedoms
Mr. Hadi emerged as one of the movement’s most prominent young leaders and, according to media reports, had planned to run in the February 2026 parliamentary elections.
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