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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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
