Bangladesh has been gripped by renewed street unrest and political uncertainty following the assassination of a youth leader, as violent protests and riots erupted in Dhaka and other major cities.
“We have returned to full-blown street unrest and severe social instability. It is a very worrying situation,” said Bishop Subroto Boniface Gomes, auxiliary bishop of Dhaka, in an interview with Fides News Agency.
“The country cannot find peace; the situation is very tense and unpredictable,” the prelate added.
The unrest followed the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, leader of the Inquilab Mancha youth movement, who was shot by masked gunmen in Dhaka on Dec. 12.
Hadi was a prominent figure in the mass protests last year that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and had planned to run in the 2026 elections.
After initially being hospitalized in Dhaka, Hadi was transferred to Singapore for specialized treatment. He died on Dec. 19.
News of his death sparked widespread public outrage, triggering mass demonstrations in several Bangladeshi cities. Groups of protesters attacked the offices of the Prothom Alo and Daily Star newspapers, demanding justice and calling for a “fight against Indian hegemony.”
Hadi’s movement was openly critical of India, where former Prime Minister Hasina sought refuge and where, according to investigators, some of the perpetrators of the assassination may have fled.
Police have arrested about 20 people suspected of involvement in the killing, while investigations continue to identify those who planned, financed, and facilitated the attack.
“Following this assassination, relations between India and Bangladesh have become very tense,” Bishop Gomes said.
“This event will also have an impact on the preparations for the elections that Prime Minister Yunus has announced for early next year. The country was trying to regain stability and institutional order on the difficult path to democracy, but now a period of uncertainty has begun,” he said.
The bishop warned that the volatile situation could be exploited by groups pursuing their own agendas. “In a context of violence,” he said, “anything can happen, and groups with ulterior motives or their own agendas could also take advantage of the situation.”
He also expressed concern for religious minorities. “Even religious minorities could also be implicated in some way: with Christmas just around the corner, any attacks against Christians could attract international attention,” he said, adding, “We are concerned about this new wave of protests.”
Bishop Gomes noted that surveillance and attacks have already been reported against Indian citizens and members of the Hindu community, another minority in the Muslim-majority country.
In the city of Mymensingh, a young Hindu man was lynched during the riots, killed by a mob, and his body tied to a tree and burned.
The bishop said security forces, including police and the army, are deployed, but the violence remains widespread and difficult to contain.
He added that Prime Minister Yunus appears to lack effective control of the situation. The government has declared national mourning for Hadi’s death in an effort to restore calm.
“As Christians, we approach Christmas and entrust our prayer for peace to God,” Bishop Gomes said. “Our hope is that the Prince of Peace, who is coming into the world, will bring the longed-for gift of peace to our troubled nation.”
