Violent protests erupted in several cities across Bangladesh after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi late on Thursday, with concerns of further unrest ahead of national elections in which he was due to run.

Hadi, 32, a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform who participated in the student-led protests that overthrew the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka last Friday while launching his campaign for the elections.

He was initially treated at a local hospital before being flown to Singapore for advanced medical care, where he died after spending six days on life support.

Hadi was an outspoken critic of India, and Inquilab Mancha describes itself on its website as a “revolutionary cultural platform inspired by the spirit of uprising.”

In Dhaka, videos circulating on social media showed mobs vandalising the offices of the country’s largest daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, as well as the Daily Star.

The demonstrations were marked by emotionally charged slogans invoking Hadi’s name, with protesters vowing to continue their movement and demanding swift justice.

Several areas remained tense, with additional police and paramilitary forces deployed to prevent further violence.

Troops were deployed to the scene, and firefighters rescued journalists trapped inside the building.

Bangladesh has been governed by an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus since August 2024, following Hasina’s flight to India following a student-led uprising.

In a televised address to the nation following Hadi’s death, Yunus said: “His passing represents an irreplaceable loss to the nation’s political and democratic sphere.”

Urging citizens to remain calm, Yunus stated that the government was committed to conducting a transparent investigation and bringing all those responsible to justice.

He also appealed for restraint, warning that violence would only undermine the country’s path toward a credible election.

The interim administration has declared Saturday a day of state mourning in honour of Hadi, with national flags to be flown at half-mast and special prayers planned across the country.

In Dhaka, the premises of the prominent Bengali cultural organisation Chhayanaut were vandalised and torched.

In the northwestern district of Rajshahi, protesters demolished an Awami League party office using a bulldozer, while demonstrators blocked major highways in several other districts.

Violence was also reported in some cities across Bangladesh, including the port city of Chittagong, where protesters attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission and set fire to a house belonging to a former Awami League education minister.

The unrest follows fresh anti-India protests earlier in the week, with ties between the neighbours deteriorating since Hasina fled to Delhi.