Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday said the wave of violence, arson, and vandalism following the death of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi is part of a planned conspiracy to push the country toward chaos and obstruct the democratic transition.
Hadi died prematurely on Thursday while undergoing treatment in Singapore. “We express our deep condolences and strongly condemn this cowardly killing. We reiterate our demand for the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved,” he said while speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting of the BNP Standing Committee.
Referring to the incidents that followed Hadi’s death, the BNP secretary general alleged that a group of unruly elements carried out coordinated attacks and arson late at night at several media houses, cultural institutions, and private properties across the country, putting the lives of working journalists at risk.
He said the offices of Prothom Alo and the English daily The Daily Star in Dhaka were vandalized and set on fire. He also mentioned the attack on Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age and president of the Editors’ Council, describing him as a courageous voice in the anti-fascist July movement and in the country’s democratic struggles.
Attacks were also carried out on cultural institutions, including Chhayanaut, he added.
“These incidents prove that an old and identified quarter is deliberately trying to plunge the country into anarchy,” Fakhrul said. “They are attempting to nullify the people’s voting rights and democratic freedoms and impose a new version of fascism in the country.”
He criticized the government’s role, saying such activities were taking place right under its nose, while public perception is that the government’s response has been far from satisfactory. As a result, the image of both the government and the country is being damaged at home and abroad, he added.
The BNP secretary general noted that political parties across the country have already protested the killing of Osman Hadi and were pressing the government to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice. In this context, he said, the recent attacks and acts of vandalism should be seen as a conspiracy to make the upcoming national election and the process of democratic transition uncertain.
“We want to warn these conspirators on behalf of peace-loving citizens,” he said. “We will not allow this country—earned through the blood of countless people—to be destroyed.”
Calling for unity, the Fakhrul said there was no alternative to forging a united front of all political and social forces opposed to chaos and anarchy. “The unity through which we overthrew fascism and secured an interim government and a national election must be revived once again,” he said, urging all patriotic forces to stand together.
During his briefing, the BNP leader also referred to a series of incidents reported across the country, including attacks on Indian High Commission offices and residences in Khulna and Chittagong; arson and vandalism at the headquarters of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star in Dhaka; renewed arson at Dhanmondi-32; attacks on Chhayanaut and the Indira Gandhi Cultural Center; vandalism of dozens of shops in Uttara; attacks on Awami League leaders’ houses; vandalism at Prothom Alo and The Daily Star offices in Rajshahi; renewed arson at the residence of late Chittagong mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury; an attack on the house of former minister Bir Bahadur; and the killing of a Hindu youth in Mymensingh following allegations of blasphemy.
