Who was Sharif Osman Hadi? Anti-India youth leader who died in Singapore week after being shot

Sharif Osman Hadi, a leading figure of the July Uprising who was shot last week, passed away late Thursday at a Singapore hospital

Sharif Osman Hadi, a key leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 student uprising and a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform, died in Singapore on Thursday. He was undergoing treatment at a hospital there after being shot in the head by masked assailants a week ago.

Hadi was shot in Dhaka while travelling on a rickshaw, after two men on a motorbike followed him and opened fire before fleeing. He was treated in the Bangladeshi capital for several days and later flown to Singapore in critical condition.

“Despite the best efforts of the doctors from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and the National Neuroscience Institute, Mr Hadi succumbed to his injuries on 18 December 2025,” Singapore’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

Who was Sharif Osman Hadi?

Sharif Osman Hadi, a leading figure of the July Uprising who was shot last week, passed away late Thursday at a Singapore hospital after a six-day struggle for survival. Initially, he was treated at a local hospital before being flown to ‍Singapore for advanced medical care.

A spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform, Hadi was also a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections in Bangladesh.

Sharif Osman Hadi rose to prominence during the July uprising last year that toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.

Hadi was a fierce critic of both India and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year rule of Bangladesh ended in last year's uprising. Since Hasina's ouster, the Inquilab Mancha group has promoted anti-Indian sentiment in the Muslim-majority country.

His statements frequently sparked controversy. Bangladeshi media reports said Hadi had recently shared a map depicting a so-called “Greater Bangladesh” that included parts of Indian territory.

Protests rock Bangladesh

After the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, Bangladesh was rocked by violent protests in several cities, with concerns of further unrest at the general election approaches.

In Dhaka, videos circulating on social media showed mobs vandalising the offices of the country’s largest daily newspaper, Prothom Alo, as well as the Daily Star.

The demonstrations were marked by emotionally charged slogans invoking Hadi’s name, with protesters vowing to continue their movement and demanding swift justice and accountability for the attack that claimed his life, according to a Reuters report. Several areas remained tense late into the night, with additional police and paramilitary forces deployed to prevent further violence.

The unrest follows renewed anti-India protests this week, with bilateral relations strained since Hasina fled to Delhi. On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters under the banner “July Oikya” (July Unity) marched towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, shouting anti-India slogans and demanding Hasina’s return.

In a televised address to the nation late Thursday night, Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus announced Hadi's death and promised swift action to catch his killers.

"Today, I came before you with very heartbreaking news. Sharif Osman Hadi, the fearless frontline fighter of the July Uprising and spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha, is no more among us," Yunus said.

He vowed to bring those involved in this brutal murder to justice quickly, saying, “No leniency will be shown" to the killers. “I sincerely call upon all citizens – keep your patience and restraint,” he said.