Who was Bangladeshi Radical Leader, Sharif Osman Hadi?
On Thursday, Bangladeshi student leader Osman Hadi died in Singapore succumbing to his gunshot injuries, after an assassination attempt in Dhaka.
Bangladesh has been plunged into political tension and public outrage following the death of a prominent student leader and political figure. Sharif Osman Hadi, known for his role in the 2024 student uprising and his radical political stance, succumbed to injuries sustained in an assassination attempt, triggering nationwide protests and uncertainty ahead of the national elections.
Sharif Osman Hadi, the Bangladeshi radical leader from Inquilab Mancha, died in Singapore on Thursday. Hadi was a student uprising leader with an anti-Indian stance, who played a frontline role in protesting against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He was also an independent candidate from Dhaka-8 for the upcoming national poll in Bangladesh. On December 12, Osman faced an assassination attempt during his campaign in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar. After a six-day battle for life, Hadi succumbed to his injuries on December 18 at Singapore General Hospital.
The assassination attempt occurred when unidentified assailants shot Hadi in the head on Culvert Road in the Bijoynagar area while he was travelling in an auto-rickshaw. He was immediately admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, from where he was shifted to Evercare Hospital. On December 15, he was airlifted to the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit of Singapore General Hospital, when his condition was reportedly “extremely critical.”
A Dhaka police spokesperson told PTI, “Osman Hadi was shot at 2:25 pm in front of DR Tower on Box Culvert Road at Bijoynagar. We have initially learned that three assailants on a motorcycle shot him and fled the scene.”
Singapore’s Ministry of Current Affairs confirmed Osman’s death through an official statement: “Despite the best efforts of the doctors from SGH and the National Neuroscience Institute, Mr Hadi succumbed to his injuries on 18 December 2025.” Bangladesh has since been gripped by widespread rage and protests, ignited by the demise of the radical student leader.
Who was Sharif Osman Hadi?
Osman was a Bangladeshi leader from the radical anti-Hasina party Inquilab Mancha. He came into the spotlight for his frontline leadership during the July 2024 student uprising against then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League. The July protests ultimately led to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina, ending her 15-year reign. The efforts of the so-called “July warriors” resulted in the dismantling of the ruling Awami League. Later, the interim Muhammad Yunus government disbanded Hasina’s party, barring it from contesting national elections.
Born in 1994 in Nalchity Upazila of Jhalokati district in southern Bangladesh, Hadi was an uprising leader known for his anti-India stance. He was born into a Muslim family; his father was a madrasa teacher. His education began at Nesarabad Kamil Madrasa, after which he enrolled at Dhaka University to study Political Science. Hadi founded Inquilab Mancha as a “socio-cultural platform,” which later gained political prominence following its role in the July 2024 student uprising. Most recently, he was working as a lecturer at the private University of Scholars. When Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal declared a death sentence for Sheikh Hasina, Osman Hadi praised the judgment, saying, “This verdict has set a precedent for the entire world.”
The upcoming national polls scheduled for February 12 were set to witness Osman as an independent candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency. The sudden death of a prominent student leader just weeks before the election has sparked speculation of political disturbance and national unrest.
Aftermath of Osman’s demise
Muhammad Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, announced national mourning on Saturday. Yunus declared that all government, semi-government, and private buildings, as well as Bangladesh missions abroad, would fly the national flag at half-mast. Special prayers were held at all places of worship after Jummah prayers on Friday, December 19, seeking peace for Hadi’s soul. Yunus also described Hadi as an “enemy of the defeated forces and fascist terrorists,” referring to members of the Awami League.
Police in Bangladesh are searching for the perpetrators, releasing photographs of two prime suspects and announcing a reward of 5 million taka (approximately $42,000). Yunus urged protesters to avoid “propaganda and rumours” and to refrain from “rash decisions.” Assuring citizens of justice, he stated, “No leniency will be shown.”
Representing public sentiment, Sarjis Alam, a key leader of the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), said, “Until India returns the assassins of Hadi Bhai, the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh will remain closed. Now or never. We are in a war!”
The story is authored by S. Krishna Kumari Patro, an intern at Deccan Chronicle