Violence broke out in Dhaka on Friday as law enforcement clashed with students and political activists from the Inquilab Moncho group during a protest over the killing of their leader, Osman Hadi. Demonstrators had gathered to demand swift and strict punishment for those accused in the murder.

As protesters attempted to advance toward the official residence of Chief Adviser Dr Yunus, police erected barricades to block their movement. When some demonstrators tried to push past the barriers, security forces responded with baton charges, tear gas, water cannons, and sound grenades to control the crowd. Reports indicate that protesters retaliated by hurling stones.

More than 50 people were reportedly injured in the clashes and taken to nearby hospitals. According to local media outlet Daily Sun, Inquilab Moncho’s Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber claimed he suffered gunshot injuries during the confrontation — a claim the group shared through social media.

Earlier in the day, authorities had also dispersed government employees protesting over the implementation of a revised national pay scale, using similar crowd-control tactics.

Fresh confrontations later erupted when students and supporters of the movement regrouped, again attempting to march toward Dr Yunus’s residence. Police intervention led to renewed chaos and injuries.

The unrest comes less than a week before Bangladesh heads to the polls for its general election, amplifying political tension already heightened by Hadi’s killing in December. In response, security across Dhaka has been significantly tightened, with additional paramilitary deployments, curfews near sensitive locations, and bans on public demonstrations around the Jamuna Guest House.