Hadi’s death: Awami League office demolished by protesters in Rajshahi

The building was brought down using excavators during the early hours of Friday in the city's Kumarpara area

An Awami League party office in Rajshahi has been demolished by protesters following news of the death of Inqilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

The building, which housed the Rajshahi city unit of the Awami League, was brought down using excavators during the early hours of Friday in the Kumarpara area of the city. The demolition began shortly after 1:30am and was completed by around 4am.

Hadi, who had announced plans to contest the upcoming parliamentary election as an independent candidate, passed away almost a week after being shot in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area on Dec 12. News of his death reached Bangladesh from Singapore, where he was undergoing treatment, on Thursday night.

Witnesses said protests began late on Thursday evening, with activists from several groups, including July-36 Moncho, the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Students Against Discrimination, gathering in Rajshahi city.

Demonstrators first assembled at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point, chanting slogans demanding justice for Hadi’s death, before marching to the Awami League office. Students from Rajshahi University also joined the protests, according to witnesses.

Some protesters later started a fire on the road during the demonstrations.

After returning to Shaheb Bazar Zero Point, protesters held a rally for around 45 minutes. Speakers at the gathering included leaders of the Rajshahi city NCP and student activists.

During the rally, speakers made a series of political demands, including calls to suspend the activities of the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh until those responsible for Hadi’s death are brought back to the country. They also called for a boycott of Indian products and the cancellation of work permits for Indian nationals.

Following the rally, protesters again gathered outside the Awami League office, where two excavators were later used to demolish the building.

After the demolition, Rajshahi city NCP General Secretary Atikur Rahman said: “We will demand that the city corporation build a public toilet at the site.”

Rajshahi city NCP President Mobasher Ali said, “This government has completely failed to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property. We believe the home affairs advisor should resign. In other countries, when a major incident occurs, those responsible resign. But in our country’s culture, even if they are beaten with shoes, they don't resign. Therefore, we believe all advisors of this government should resign and a revolutionary government should be formed.”

“Today we demolished this Awami League office. Demolishing offices alone is not enough. A combing operation must be carried out to arrest Awami League leaders and activists.”