Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a prominent leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 student-led uprising, who was flown to Singapore after being critically wounded in an assassination attempt, has died, Singaporean authorities have confirmed.
“Despite the best efforts of the doctors… Hadi succumbed to his injuries,” Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, confirming his death after days of intensive medical treatment.
Hadi, 32, was shot in the head on December 12 while traveling in a battery-powered autorickshaw in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, according to local media.
The student leader was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after the shooter opened fire from a motorcycle and fled the scene.
Local physicians told the newspaper that Hadi’s brain stem had been damaged. As his condition deteriorated, he was evacuated to Singapore on December 15 and admitted to the neurosurgical intensive care unit at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for advanced treatment.
Hadi was a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha – platform for revolution – who had emerged as a key figure during the 2024 uprising.
Additionally, he was being regarded as a possible independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the February national elections.
Known for his vocal criticism of India, Hadi’s political profile increased dramatically in recent months as Bangladesh experienced political turmoil after Sheikh Hasina’s removal. The former premier remains in self-imposed exile in India.
Announcing his death on Facebook late Thursday, Inqilab Mancha described him as a martyr. “In the struggle against Indian hegemony, Allah has accepted the great revolutionary Osman Hadi as a martyr,” the group said.
Police have launched a large-scale hunt for those involved in the shooting, releasing photographs of two key suspects and announcing a reward of five million taka (approximately $42,000) for information leading to their arrest.
According to a Bangladeshi newspaper, at least 20 people linked to the incident have been arrested so far, though investigations into the murder remain ongoing.
The killing triggered immediate political condemnation and expressions of grief across the country. Bangladesh’s interim government head Muhammad Yunus said Hadi’s death “is an irreparable loss for the nation”.
“The country’s march towards democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed,” Yunus said in a televised address on Thursday.
The government declared a half-day of national mourning on Saturday and organised special prayers at mosques following Friday prayers. Condolence messages were also released by political parties.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Manch and independent candidate for Dhaka-8 constituency,” Bangladesh National Party (BNP) acting chairman Tareq Rahman said in a Facebook post.
In a separate press statement, the National Citizen Party (NCP) said it was “deeply saddened” by Hadi’s death, and extended condolences to his family.
Within hours of learning of Hadi’s passing, protests erupted in Dhaka and other cities throughout Bangladesh. Hundreds of protesters went to the streets to express their outrage over what they claimed was a politically motivated murder.