UN urges calm in Bangladesh after killing of protest leader sparks unrest
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killing of Inqilab Moncho convener Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a leading figure in last year’s protests, and called on the authorities to ensure accountability.
He urged the authorities to conduct “a prompt, an impartial, a thorough and transparent investigation, in line with international human rights standards,” and called for restraint as Bangladesh heads toward parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2026, his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at a regular press briefing in New York.
The UN secretary general also appealed for calm, urging all sides to “refrain from violence, reduce tensions and exercise maximum restraint in order to preserve a peaceful electoral environment.”
The killing also drew similar concern from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who said he was “deeply troubled” by Hadi’s death after being shot last week.
“Retaliation and revenge will only deepen divisions and undermine the rights of all,” Volker Turk said in a statement issued in Geneva, echoing calls for accountability for those responsible.
On 12 December, the day after the schedule for the 13th national parliamentary election and referendum was announced, assailants shot Sharif Osman Hadi in the head on Box Culvert Road in Purana Paltan, Dhaka. He was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later at Evercare Hospital.
On 15 December, Osman Hadi was flown to Singapore by air ambulance for advanced treatment.
He passed away on 18 December while undergoing treatment in Singapore General Hospital.
Osman Hadi’s body was brought to Dhaka on Friday evening.
In accordance with the family’s wishes, he was buried beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam today, Saturday.