Chhayanaut building set on fire

Bangla Press Desk:   A group of unruly people set fire to the building of cultural organisation Chhayanaut in the capital’s Dhanmondi area in the early hours of Friday as violence spread in the country over the death of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.

“The incident took place around 2:15am,” said Khaleda Yasmin, duty officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters control room.

She said two firefighting units rushed to the spot and doused the blaze around 3:50am.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Witnesses said a group of people wearing helmets and face coverings entered the building, damaged valuables and set fire to those both inside and outside the premises.

Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent figure of the July Uprising, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho and a potential candidate for the upcoming 13th national election, passed away on Thursday at 9:45pm while receiving treatment at Singapore General Hospital.

Hadi was critically injured on 12 December when assailants opened fire on him while he was traveling in a rickshaw on Box Culvert Road in the capital’s Paltan area. Two individuals on a motorcycle approached his rickshaw, and one of them shot him at close range before fleeing the scene.

BP/SP