The joy and excitement that swept across the country after the Chief Election Commissioner an-nounced the schedule for the upcoming national parliamentary election on December 11 lasted only 18 hours.
The very next day, in broad daylight, Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, convener of Inqilab Moncho and one of the key leaders of the July movement, was shot.
Last Friday afternoon, Sharif Osman Bin Hadi – also a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 par-liamentary constituency – was shot on Box Culvert Road in Old Paltan in the capital. The assail-ant shot him and fled on a motorcycle. After being shot in the head, Hadi was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital in the capital. On Monday, he was flown to Singapore by air ambulance.
This attack on Hadi has created fresh fear and anxiety regarding the law-and-order situation ahead of the election. It is now being viewed as a serious challenge to holding a free and fair poll. According to Bangladesh Pratidin, Sharif Osman Hadi is only the beginning. Domestic and foreign groups are allegedly attempting to destabilise the country. Their targets reportedly in-clude at least fifty more July movement activists and political figures, and large sums of money have already been invested to achieve these objectives (December 15).
Immediately after this unfortunate incident, the nation observed Victory Day. In his address to the nation on the occasion, the Chief Adviser spoke openly about conspiracies by defeated forces ahead of the election. He said: “The recent attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, a frontline fighter of the July uprising and spokesper-son of Inqilab Moncho, is not merely an attack on an individual – it is an attack on the existence of Bangladesh and on our democratic journey.”
Prof Muhammad Yunus stated clearly that attempts by defeated fascist terrorist forces would be completely thwarted. No one, he said, would be able to stop Bangladesh’s democratic progress through fear, terrorism or bloodshed.
He further urged citizens to remain calm and not fall for propaganda or rumours. He said unity would defeat the fascist terrorist forces trying to create instability, and assured the nation that defeated fascist elements would never return to the sacred soil of the country.
This speech made it clear that the next two months will be extremely difficult for Bangladesh.
In this situation, all eyes are now on the Chief Adviser, Prof Muhammad Yunus. Political parties are demanding enhanced security from him. Civil society is questioning whether the government is capable of conducting a fair election. Many are calling for the resignation of the Home Affairs Adviser. Observers say that despite prior warnings at the highest levels, multiple agencies failed to ensure Osman Hadi’s security. An incident like this, immediately after the election schedule announcement, has terrified the public. The country must now be brought back to a normal, fes-tive election environment.
Political analysts believe the Chief Adviser is navigating the most difficult phase of his tenure. Only 57 days remain until the election, making this the most challenging period for Bangladesh. Leading the country at this critical juncture is globally respected Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof Yunus. That is why people remain hopeful. They believe a capable helmsman will keep his prom-ise and give the nation an opportunity to celebrate an election festival.
Following the attack on Hadi, every step taken by the Chief Adviser has been responsible and timely. In his Victory Day address, he called for national unity and urged political parties to ex-ercise restraint.
He has been monitoring the situation round the clock and taking swift decisions. On his instruc-tions, advanced medical treatment for Hadi was arranged. Prof Yunus ordered the immediate arrest of the perpetrators. Most importantly, he held meetings with leaders of the three major po-litical parties.
In the context of the attack on Osman Bin Hadi, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus met leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), urging them to remain united. He warned that ousted forces were trying to sabotage the election. Party leaders assured him they would set aside differences and stand together to thwart conspiracies.
During the meeting, the Chief Adviser shared crucial intelligence, describing the attack on Hadi as a warning sign and part of a deep, pre-planned conspiracy backed by powerful forces. He said the objective was to prevent the election and described the attack as highly “symbolic”.
He added that available information suggests the conspirators have expanded their network and deployed trained shooters.
Calling on political parties to stand firmly alongside the government, he said these forces aim to demonstrate power and derail all election preparations, and must therefore be confronted collec-tively.
Prof Yunus also urged parties aligned with the July uprising to move away from internal conflicts ahead of the election. He cautioned against turning political opponents into enemies and empha-sised that election-time tensions must remain within controlled limits.
Three key points emerged clearly from the Chief Adviser’s statements. First, a group is actively working to sabotage the election and may attempt further violent incidents; political parties must remain vigilant. Second, divisions among political parties are providing anti-election forces with opportunities to act. Third, political criticism during the election period must not cross acceptable limits.
The attack on Hadi has made one thing clear: many incidents may occur in Bangladesh before the election. Attempts to derail the process may continue. Therefore, not only the government but also political parties must remain alert. Aggressive behaviour towards political opponents could worsen the situation. Most importantly, immediate, effective and visible measures must be taken to improve law and order.
We remain hopeful because we have a skilled driver guiding us on this treacherous journey – Prof Yunus. Over the past 16 months, he has prepared the country for elections amid extremely diffi-cult circumstances. He assumed office on August 8 amid chaos. Organising an election from that point was an immense challenge.
The road ahead is even more difficult and uncertain. The next 57 days will be the most challenging period of his tenure. The nation has only one wish – that under Prof Yunus’s leadership, Bangladesh ultimately anchors safely in the harbour of democracy.
