Bangladesh on boil again: Hadi, Dipu Chandra's murder, mob on streets, Greater B'desh map controversy and upcoming polls - What's happening
Bangladesh faces renewed unrest after student leader Sharif Osman Hadi’s death triggered violent protests. A mob killing, minority attacks, the “Greater Bangladesh” map controversy, India-Bangladesh diplomatic tensions, and uncertainty ahead of February elections have deepened the crisis.
Bangladesh is on boil again
The killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of the 2024 student uprising in Bangladesh and spokesperson for the radical political platform Inqilab Mancha (Manch) has thrown Bangladesh into fresh wave of violence
Violence erupts, Hindu man killed
Violence erupted soon after it was announced that Hadi succumbed to injuries. It spiraled into anti-India protest in various cities. One Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das was lynched by an angry mob in Mymensingh.
India's stance on Hindu man lynching
India expressed concern at the “horrendous killing." Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India is keeping a close watch on the evolving situation in Bangladesh. “Our officials remain in touch with Bangladesh authorities and have conveyed to them our strong concerns at the attacks on minorities. We have also urged that the perpetrators of the barbaric killing of Das be brought to justice.”
Greater Bangladesh controversy
On December 12, 2025, Hadi posted a controversial map on Facebook titled “Greater Bangladesh.” The map marks Myanmar's Arakan State, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and the entire Northeast region of India as part of ‘Greater Bangladesh’. Previously, it was reported that Turkish NGO-backed Islamist group in Dhaka, was the first to put out the map
India's stance on Greater Bangladesh controversy
Earlier in Aug, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said “The Government has taken note of reports that an Islamist group in Dhaka called the ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’, backed by a Turkish NGO called the ‘Turkish Youth Federation’, has put out a map of the so-called ‘Greater Bangladesh’ that includes parts of India. The map was displayed in the Dhaka University.” "The Government of Bangladesh fact-checker platform, ‘BanglaFact’, claimed that there is no evidence of ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’ operating in Bangladesh. It further clarified that the ‘map’ was displayed at a historical exhibition in reference to the so-called earlier Bengal Sultanate," MEA statement quoting Jaishankar added. The MEA statement also added that the organisers behind the exhibition denied any connections with any foreign political entity.
Diplomatic row with India
Hadi's anti-India and anti-Hasina stance became the premise for his supporters to march on the streets against India. Protests were held outside Indian missions in Bangladesh. New Delhi summoned Bangladesh's envoy to register a strong demarche over security threats to Indian missions. India suspended visa services indefinitely at its application centers in Chittagong, Rajshahi, and Khulna citing security concerns.
What's next
Bangladesh is navigating a worsening diplomatic crisis with India. Meanwhile, polls are scheduled in Bangladesh for February. Sheikh Hasina's Awami League has boycotted the polls, while interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressing confidence that polls will be held as per scheduled time. Internal instability, Hasina's extradition, return of Khaleda Zia's son is the backdrop in which the upcoming polls will be seen.
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