B'desh to hold funeral of slain youth leader amid tight security
Dhaka/ New Delhi (PTI): Bangladesh is set to hold the funeral of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi on Saturday amid tight security following unrest in the country triggered by his death.
The funeral prayer will be held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building at 2 pm, the press wing of the interim government of Bangladesh has announced.
The country is also observing a day of state mourning following the death of Hadi, who was one of the prominent leaders of the student-led protests last year, which led to the ouster of the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led government. He was also a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.
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Hadi, the spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha, was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen as he initiated his election campaign at central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. He died while undergoing treatment in Singapore.
The announcement of his death late on Thursday triggered overnight rampages in various parts of the country.
In a social media post on Friday, Inqilab Mancha said, "Upon the family's wishes, a decision has been taken to bury Hadi beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and to hold his funeral prayer after Zuhr tomorrow at Manik Mia Avenue."
The party also announced that there would be no public viewing of the body, and people were requested to pray for Hadi while maintaining order.
A large number of law enforcement personnel have been deployed in and around the Parliament complex, and a tight security cordon has been imposed across the entire area, according to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.
The government has also imposed a ban on flying drones in the area, and those wishing to attend the funeral have been asked not to carry any bags or heavy objects, it said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police has said traffic will be suspended from Khejur Bagan Crossing to Manik Mia Avenue as a large turnout was expected, bdnews24.com news portal reported.
People from different parts of the country gathered at Shahbagh on Friday in a mourning procession, while attendees began arriving at Manik Mia Avenue from Saturday morning. The crowd is expected to grow as the day progresses, the report said.
As part of the state mourning, national flags were flown at half-mast at government offices, including the Secretariat in the capital, state-run BSS news agency reported.
Various parts of the country were rocked Thursday night by attacks and vandalism, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner's residence in Chattogram, attacks on offices of leading newspapers, and vandalism at Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, soon after Chief Adviser Muhhamad Yunus confirmed Hadi's death.
The interim government on Friday urged citizens to resist violence by “fringe elements” as Hadi's body arrived here from Singapore, amid fresh unrest in the capital.
Hadi's mortal remains arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at around 6 pm local time on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, amid heavy security.
After the flight's landing, videos shared on social media showed Hadi's followers lining up on both sides of the road from the airport to Shahbagh to receive him, before his coffin, draped in the national flag, was brought to the Dhaka University Central Mosque for a public meeting.
Former prime minister Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has alleged that unrest is part of a broader conspiracy to destabilise Bangladesh.
VIDEO | Bangladesh: People throng the Parliament area to attend the funeral of July uprising leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, in Dhaka.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 20, 2025
Hadi, one of the leaders who had taken part in the student-led protests last year – termed as July Uprising - and a candidate for the scheduled… pic.twitter.com/gVP3hmY1oS
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
