Bangladesh violence: Protesters set fire to major media offices after youth leader’s death | WATCH

Violent protests broke out in several cities in Bangladesh after a youth leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, was killed in an assassination attempt. Thousands of people took to the streets after his death, demanding his killers’ arrest. Angry protestors set fire to several buildings in the capital, including offices of two leading newspapers, with staff trapped inside.

Hadi, the leader of the country’s 2024 pro-democracy uprising, was a polarising figure known for his strong anti-India stance. He was shot by masked assailants while leaving a mosque in Dhaka. Hadi was airlifted to a hospital in Singapore for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries on Thursday (Dec 18).

At least three cases of arson were reported in Dhaka early Friday (Dec 19), according to a spokesperson for the Fire Brigade and Civil Defence force. Buildings of newspapers, Daily Star and Prothom Alo, were targeted in the attacks. The protestors have accused the two largest papers of aligning with India, where the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has been staying after her ouster.

Daily Star reporter Zyma Islam said that she was trapped inside the burning building. According to the officials, the fire at the building was brought under control at 1:40 am, but 27 employees were trapped inside.

Protesters also blocked a major highway that connects Dhaka with other parts of the country and vandalised the home of a former minister in Chittagong in southeastern Bangladesh. The residence of Bangladesh’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Sheikh Hasina, was also vandalised and set on fire by violent protesters.