Bangladesh Anti-India Radical Leader Sharif Osman Hadi Dies Days After Being Shot, Violent Protests Flare In Dhaka

Dhaka: Radical leader and head of Inqilab Mancha, known for his anti-India and anti-Sheikh Hasina rant, Sharif Osman Hadi died at a Singapore hospital on Thursday, a week after he was shot in Dhaka. According to the local news, Osman Hadi had been very seriously ill ever since he was shot in the head on December 12 while campaigning in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. On Monday, he was flown by air ambulance to Singapore and taken to Singapore General Hospital, where, even with intensive care, Hadi's brain damage could not be reversed, as per doctors.  

According to the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Inqilab Mancha convenor was put on a machine to keep him breathing because several of his organs were failing. “Despite the best efforts of the doctors, Sharif Osman Hadi succumbed to his injuries,” the statement read, confirming the death of Osman Hadi on Thursday. 

Notably, Hadi became well known during the July Uprising in Bangladesh against the Sheikh Hasina government and the campaign to ban the Awami League by changing the constitution. His uprising forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina out of power and also forced her to leave the country. He presented himself as a tough opponent of pro‑India politics, often criticising both the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and warning that a return to the old ways would not last. 

His strong words often caused controversy. A member of the anti‑Hasina platform Inquilab Manch, Hadi was running as an independent candidate for the Dhaka‑8 constituency in the February elections. The group had been leading a campaign to dismantle the Awami League and to arrest people linked to the disbanded party .

Bangladeshi media reported that Hadi had recently shared a map showing a ‘Greater Bangladesh’ that included parts of India. The experts said his sharp language and aggressive stance helped him gain attention and followers in a divided political scene. Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh’s interim government announced a one‑day national mourning after Hadi’s death.

Hadi's Death Triggers Violence In Dhaka

The death of Sharif Osman Hadi has triggered violent protests in Dhaka, Chattogram and several other cities on Thursday. After the Singapore foreign‑affairs ministry confirmed that Sharif Osman Hadi succumbed to his injuries, the crowds took to the streets, chanting slogans. A mob stormed the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo in Dhaka, while a separate group gathered outside the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram. 

A fire was reported at the home of former minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, while the journalists covering the unrest said they were being threatened by radical elements for speaking to the Indian media.

As per reports, unidentified gunmen opened fire on Hadi's battery‑powered auto‑rickshaw on Culvert Road in the Paltan area of Dhaka. He was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, then moved to Evercare Hospital as his condition deteriorated, and on Saturday was airlifted to Singapore’s Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit for specialist care. The Singapore ministry said the doctors did everything they could, but he passed away on December 18.

Violence And Vandalism

Reportedly, the protesters set fire to the Awami League’s office in Rajshahi and vandalised the Prothom Alo newsroom. In a Facebook post earlier in the week, Inquilab Mancha had urged supporters to gather at Shahbagh, warning that the protest would be framed as a defence of national sovereignty if Hadi became a martyr.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus called for calm, asking citizens to “maintain patience and restraint” and to give law‑enforcement agencies space to investigate the “brutal assassination.” He promised that all those responsible would face the harshest punishment and announced a one‑day national mourning to honour Hadi.