Staff Reporter :
The gun attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, an independent contender for the Dhaka-8 parliamentary seat, has unleashed a wave of outrage and condemnation across the country.
Political leaders, rights groups, and concerned citizens called the incident a direct threat to the country’s electoral environment.
The social media including Facebook is flooded with protest and condemnation and demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrators.
People from all walks of life have been praying for the early recovery of Hadi.
Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus condemned the shooting in strong terms, calling it “completely unacceptable” in an election season.
“It is our responsibility to guarantee public safety and ensure unhindered movement of candidates.
Whoever the perpetrators are, they will be brought under the law,” he said, adding that no act of violence aimed at disrupting the polls would be tolerated.
On the other hand, the reaction from political parties was immediate and fierce.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) termed the attack a “far-reaching and sinister plan”
designed to sabotage the electoral environment. In a statement, the party demanded swift arrests and exemplary punishment for those involved.
“A vested quarter is trying to fish in troubled waters by staging such violent acts.
They are deliberately spreading fear and panic to secure political gains,” the BNP said, alleging that violent extremists were still operating for narrow political interests.
The party claimed that the shooting reflected a broader effort to derail what it described as the people’s democratic momentum since the July Uprising.
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman also condemned the attack, calling it brutal and unacceptable. He demanded immediate action to identify and arrest the attackers.
Later in the day, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced nationwide protests for Saturday.
He described the attack as part of a planned conspiracy, calling for a proper investigation and quick arrests.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said “there are no words” to denounce such an attack in the heart of Dhaka.
“No matter what our beliefs are, anyone who uses fear or force should be rejected,” Fakhrul wrote in a Facebook post on Friday.
He urged the interim government to take firm steps to curb criminal activities ahead of the election, stressing that political violence has no place in a democracy.
In his Facebook page, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman expressed deep concern over the shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi.
“Any violence arising from political rivalry or differences of opinion is never acceptable.
I demand a quick, impartial, and transparent investigation into this incident, and I pray that Allah grants him full recovery,” he said.
National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhter Hossen said the attack on Hadi reflects the deteriorating law and order in the country.
“Leaders of the July uprising have long faced numerous threats, yet the government has failed to bring the perpetrators to justice. We demand immediate arrest of those responsible for this attack,” he added.
After visiting Hadi at DMCH on Friday, Nahid Islam, NCP convener said there is a major conspiracy behind the attack on Osman Hadi.
“The fallen Awami League has become a security threat to Bangladesh and its people. We saw that Hadi’s condition is extremely critical.
We fear there is a major conspiracy behind this incident. We do not believe this is an isolated attack. This is an attempt to destabilise the entire country,” he said.
He added, “This began after 5 August last year. Time and again, students and the public have resisted it. This attack is part of that same pattern.”
Nahid said that those who participated in the mass uprising were all facing threats, and that a sense of insecurity had grown among ordinary citizens.
“We stand with Hadi,” he said. “We all embody the spirit of July. Our party affiliations may differ, but we are united in the spirit of July and in support of Bangladesh.”
The NCP convener demanded the arrest of the attackers within the next 24 hours. He also said the Election Commission must answer for the incident and ensure the security of July fighters.
“From tonight, we will be on the streets,” he said. “Wherever we see fascist conspiracies, we will resist them immediately.”
Meanwhile, students of Jagannath University brought protest procession which marched several streets and demanded arrest of the assailants.
They chanted slogans – “Why attack on Hadi, Administration answer it.” “My brother in the hospital, Interim answer it.”
They also said that the attack on Hadi is tantamount to attacking on the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.
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