Dhaka, Dec. 20 -- Large crowds have gathered at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka to attend the funeral prayers of slain political activist Sharif Osman bin Hadi, whose coffin was brought to the area ahead of his burial.

Hadi, the convenor of Inqilab Moncho, was shot earlier this month and died in Singapore while undergoing treatment.

Under heavy security, an ambulance carrying his body entered the parliament complex through the Asad Gate shortly after 1pm on Saturday. Army personnel, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members and police were deployed across the area.

The funeral prayers were scheduled for 2pm, to be led by Hadi's elder brother, Abu Bakar Siddique. He is to be buried beside the grave of Bangladesh's national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam...