Bangladesh's anti-Sheikh Hasina protest leader Sharif Osman Hadi dies in Singapore

Sharif Osman Hadi, opposition leader who sparked a violent protest against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh last year, died on Thursday. Following his death, violence and arson spread across several cities in Bangladesh. Osman Hadi was shot and injured a few days ago. He died while undergoing treatment at Singapore General Hospital.

It should be noted that Osman Hadi was shot by unidentified assailants in Dhaka while travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw on Culvert Road in the Paltan area. He was initially rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Evercare Hospital after his condition worsened.

“Despite the best efforts of the doctors, Sharif Osman Hadi succumbed to his injuries,” Singapore’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement. He was on Saturday flown to Singapore to receive advanced medical treatment.

Notably, Sharif Osman Hadi, a member of the anti-Hasina platform Inqilab Manch and known for his outspoken views, was campaigning in



Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area when he was attacked. He is contesting as an Independent candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency. Police said the attackers fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene.

Inqilab Mancho announced Hadi’s death in a social media post on Thursday, saying he passed away after fighting for his life for six days, as reported by Bangladesh news channel Daily Star. 

Significantly, Hadi had emerged as a prominent figure following the 2024 “July uprising” that led to the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The shooting triggered strong political reactions in Bangladesh after the parliamentary election schedule was announced on February 12. Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus condemned the attack, calling election-related violence “completely unacceptable.”

“No form of violence intended to disrupt the election will be tolerated. The incident is a worrying development for the country’s political landscape,” Yunus had said.