Bangladesh Parties Vow Unity Against Plots to Derail July Transition

Bangladesh’s interim government says the shooting of activist Osman Hadi is part of a wider bid to sabotage the July transition, as rival parties pledge rare unity against extremist violence.

Sultanul Arefin December 13, 2025 3 minutes read

Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has warned that recent violence is part of a wider attempt to derail the “July transition” and the country’s fragile democratic gains.

Speaking at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka, he told political leaders that the attack on activist and Dhaka-8 independent hopeful Sharif Osman Hadi was not an isolated crime. It was, he argued, a calculated move by extremist networks trying to intimidate voters and question the July political settlement that followed mass protests.

Yunus said these forces wanted to prove that the state was weak and unable to protect citizens during the coming polls.

Attack on Osman Hadi deepens election security concerns

Osman Hadi, a prominent organiser of the Inquilab Mancha platform and a key face of the post-July youth movement, was shot in Dhaka on 12 December while campaigning. He remains in a critical condition after emergency treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and transfer to a private facility.

Security officials have noted that shootings linked to election activities have occurred elsewhere, but say the targeted nature of this attack is especially worrying. They fear it may signal a campaign to spread fear among activists and ordinary voters ahead of the national election.

Parties stress political unity against extremist violence

At the Jamuna meeting, leaders from major opposition and Islamist-leaning parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party, expressed solidarity with Hadi and his family.

They agreed that attempts to sabotage the transition must be resisted jointly, regardless of ideological differences. Senior BNP figures reportedly said that, in the current climate, parties must avoid mutual blame and instead present a united front to protect voters and candidates.

Jamaat leaders also argued that recent incidents should not be used to politically smear specific groups. They stressed that extremists must be isolated through cooperation across the spectrum.

Concerns over campaigns targeting the July movement

Yunus and several leaders accused “reactionary” groups of trying to rewrite the story of the July uprising, which toppled the previous government and led to a ban on the Awami League pending war-crimes trials.

They alleged that some actors are using traditional media, social media and campus networks to portray the July movement as a failure and to undermine trust in the interim authorities. According to Yunus, such narratives are meant to demoralise supporters of reform and to justify further violence.

He urged citizens not to be drawn into divisive propaganda and called for continued public vigilance.

Government promises security and neutral election role

The Chief Adviser said there was, so far, no sign of a nationwide security breakdown. However, he admitted that the attack on Hadi exposed gaps that must be closed quickly.

Yunus instructed law-enforcement agencies to locate and dismantle militant hideouts within three weeks and to ensure that those behind the attack cannot escape abroad. He also signalled plans for a special hotline so citizens can report extortion, threats and electoral violence during the campaign period.

The interim government, he insisted, will stay neutral and focus on protecting voters and upholding the July commitments. Any group trying to plunge the country back into fear, he said, would face a united political resistance.

Featured image: Collected