By International Affairs Correspondent
London, (The Muslim News): Bangladesh is in mourning following the funeral of Sharif Osman Hadi, the 32-year-old student leader whose death last week sparked nationwide protests. Hadi, a prominent figure in the 2024 pro-democracy uprising, succumbed to injuries sustained when he was shot in the head by masked assailants while leaving a mosque in Dhaka on December 12.
Tens of thousands of people gathered around the area surrounding the Parliament and at Dhaka University to pay their respects [see photo below]. Hadi was laid to rest beside the national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, a symbolic resting place underscoring his significance in the country’s ongoing political struggle.
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus addressed the mourners, saying: “You are in our hearts and you will remain in the heart of all Bangladeshis as long as the country exists.” High-profile political figures and university officials were also in attendance, including the leader of Hadi’s Inqilab Moncho movement and the National Citizen Party chief.
Police and security forces were deployed across Dhaka to manage traffic and maintain order, with body cameras recording operations amid the heavy crowds. The Bangladeshi flag flew at half-staff on all public and private buildings to mark the day of mourning.
Hadi’s death had already triggered widespread unrest across the country. Protesters had set fire to buildings housing major newspapers, including the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, accusing them of pro-India sympathies. “I can’t breathe anymore, there’s too much smoke, I am inside. You are killing me,” Zyma Islam, a Daily Star reporter, wrote on Facebook while trapped during the attack. Demonstrators also targeted the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chattogram and the homes of government officials, reflecting the sharp rise in anti-India sentiment linked to Hadi’s outspoken criticism of India and its harbouring of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hadi, spokesperson for the student protest group Inqilab Moncho, had been preparing to contest the Dhaka-8 parliamentary seat in the February 2026 elections. Following his shooting, he was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being airlifted to Singapore General Hospital, where he died on Thursday. Authorities have confirmed several arrests related to his death, though police speculated that the attackers may have fled to India.
The United Nations has strongly condemned the killing. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres extended his condolences to Hadi’s family and called for a “prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation” into the incident, urging all parties to exercise restraint and help preserve a peaceful electoral environment.
The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, described Hadi’s death as “an irreparable loss for the nation.” Special prayers were held at mosques, and a half-day of mourning was declared nationwide. Hadi’s passing has reignited demands for justice and accountability for both his death and the violent suppression of the 2024 student-led uprising.
Hadi’s funeral stands as a stark reminder of the country’s fragile political landscape. Hundreds of families affected by the protests continue to question whether former Prime Minister Hasina and those responsible for violence against students will ever face justice. Shaina Begum, mother of 20-year-old protester Sajjat Hosen Sojal, who was killed during the uprising, said: “I cannot be calm until she [Hasina] is brought back and hanged in this country.”
As Bangladesh moves toward its parliamentary elections, scheduled for February, the unrest underscores a deeply divided nation grappling with political tension, media scrutiny, and public anger over unresolved grievances. Hadi’s death and funeral have become a potent symbol of the continuing struggle for democracy, justice, and accountability.
[Photo: Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a frontline leader of the July uprising and convener of the Inqilab Mancha [seen on the baner], is laid to rest following a funeral prayer attended by hundreds of thousands at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on December 20, 2025. Photographer: Abdul Goni/AA]
