Day of state mourning tomorrow

Interim government’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus appealed for calm late Thursday night and pledged justice over Sharif Osman Had’s death following a sniper attack on him.

In an impromptu televised address to the nation, he also announced that the government would take the maintenance charge of the victim’s family.

The interim government leader of Bangladesh announced a day of state mourning following the death of the prominent figure in the July mass uprising of 2024 and spokesperson for the Inqilab Mancha, describing his killing as an "irreparable loss" to the country's democratic struggle.

Yunus said Hadi, who had been undergoing treatment in Singapore after being critically injured, died despite what he called "sincere and professional" medical care. The news was conveyed to him by Singapore's foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, who is also a physician.

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un," Yunus says, offering prayers for the deceased to be accepted as a "martyr for the anti-fascist and anti-hegemonic movement".

He announced that Saturday would be observed as a day of state mourning, with the national flag flown at half-mast at all government offices, educational institutions, and Bangladesh missions abroad.

Special prayers will be held todeay ( Friday) after Jumaah prayers at mosques across the country, with interfaith services planned at other places of worship.

The government will also assume responsibility of the welfare of Hadi's wife and only child, Yunus said.

Hadi's death has intensified political tensions at a delicate moment, as Bangladesh approaches a national election following months of unrest and a mass uprising that forced a change in power. Yunus said Hadi had hoped to contest the upcoming polls and play a role in shaping what he called a "new Bangladesh".

"That aspiration has been cruelly cut short," the chief adviser says, adding that responsibility of fulfilling Hadi's vision now rests with the nation as a whole.

Vowing swift justice, Yunus says all those involved in what he described as a "brutal killing" would be held to account and face the maximum punishment under the law. He warns that there would be "no leniency" for those responsible.

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