Osman Hadi – Wikipedia

Bangladeshi politician and activist (1993–2025)

Sharif Osman Bin Hadi (Bengali: শরীফ ওসমান বিন হাদি; 30 June 1993^{[citation needed]} – 18 December 2025), better known as Osman Hadi, was a Bangladeshi politican and activist.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} He was a co-founder and spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho. Following the July Revolution, he became a figure in youth-led movements, noted for his opposition to what he termed Indian hegemony in Bangladesh, his advocacy regarding the July martyrs, and his participation in the Awami League ban protests.^[7][8][9]

On 12 December 2025, Hadi was shot in the Box Culvert area of Bijoynagar, Dhaka. He died on 18 December while undergoing treatment.^[10][11][12]

Osman Hadi was born in Nalchity Upazila of Jhalokathi District. His father was a madrasa teacher and a local imam. The youngest of six siblings, Hadi was raised in a religious environment.^[1] He completed his higher secondary education at Jhalakati N S Kamil Madrasa, passing the Alim examination, before enrolling in the Department of Political Science at the University of Dhaka for the 2010–2011 academic session.^[1]

Hadi was a lecturer in the Department of Business Studies at the University of Scholars, a private university in Dhaka.^[13][14]

In preparation for the 2026 Bangladeshi general election, Hadi announced his candidacy for the Dhaka-8 constituency as an independent politician.^[15] He engaged in local campaigning, including “consultation meetings” in various neighborhoods.^[15][16] During his campaign, he organized a “van rally” in central Dhaka, where he criticized incumbent MPs and pledged to expose corruption if elected.^[17]

July Revolution

During the July Revolution, Hadi was a resident of Rampura, Dhaka. He was involved in local organizational activities and acted as a coordinator for the area.^[7]

Hadi was a co-founder of Inqilab Moncho, a platform formed after the July protests. The organization’s stated aims include defending national sovereignty, opposing foreign domination, and establishing a “justice-based state”.^[16][18] Inqilab Moncho is part of the “July Unity coalition,” a network of youth and civil society groups demanding accountability for protest-related deaths and the banning of the Awami League.^[19]

Following the protests, Hadi became a visible organizer. He criticized opposition groups that he alleged were attempting to dominate the movement and accused some youth leaders of corruption.^[20]

Hadi and Inqilab Moncho campaigned for the “constitutional” banning of the Awami League, citing the party’s alleged role in repression and killings.^[21] At a rally in Shahbagh, he urged political parties to include the trial and banning of the Awami League in their election manifestos, threatening a “March for Bangladesh” towards the Bangladesh Secretariat if demands were not met.^[8]

For the past 14–15 years, fascism has been established in Bangladesh… In Bangladesh, Begum Khaleda Zia was left untreated, causing her hand to be crippled. Allama Sayedee was brought to the hospital under the guise of medical treatment and was killed… This Shahbagh has not only legitimized but also proved the necessity of that term.

He frequently described himself and his organization as opponents of “fascism,” arguing that the ruling party should not regain political legitimacy.^[23]

During clashes involving the National Citizen Party’s March to Gopalganj campaign, Hadi made controversial remarks calling for the dissolution of Gopalganj District.^[24][25] He later described his statement as an “epic of liberation” while expressing regret to those offended.^[1]

On 24 May 2025, Hadi called for a “National government” comprised of anti-Awami League forces, specifically naming the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and others.^[26][7]

Hadi criticized other opposition platforms, including the National Citizen Party, alleging they attempted to “monopolise” the July uprising.^[20][27] Regarding the BNP, he stated in July 2025 that if the party returned to power without reforming its politics, it would not remain in office for more than two years.^[28]

Hadi used social media and public speeches to comment on political issues, including demanding the arrest of activist Lucky Akter and calling for investigations into alleged massacres.^[22] He also spoke against what he termed “disinformation” regarding disappeared bodies, describing such campaigns as conspiracies against the state.^[29][30][31]

Hadi had previously reported receiving death threats from Indian numbers.^[32][33][34] On 12 December 2025, at approximately 2:25 p.m. (BST), he was shot in the head in the Paltan area of Dhaka after leaving a mosque. Police reported the attack was conducted by assailants on a motorcycle.^[35]

He was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital^{[36][37][38][39]} and later transferred to Evercare Hospital Dhaka.^[40] On 15 December, he was airlifted to Singapore General Hospital,^[41] where he died on 18 December.^{[42][10][43][44]} His body was repatriated to Bangladesh the following day.^[45][46]

Following the announcement of Hadi’s death, unrest broke out in Dhaka.^[47] This included attacks on the headquarters of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, where staff were briefly trapped by arson.^[48][49] The Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban and the remains of the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum were also vandalized.^{[50][51][52][53][54]}

The violence included anti-Indian sentiment; the National Citizen Party (NCP) demanded the closure of the Indian High Commission.^[55][56] Protests in Chittagong and Rajshahi targeted Indian diplomatic missions, leading Indian authorities to temporarily close visa centers in Rajshahi and Khulna.^[57] The United Nations Human Rights Office expressed concern and called for an impartial investigation.^[58]

On Friday, December 19, the European Union and The United States Embassy in Dhaka issued a statement via social media expressing its condolences following the death of Hadi.^[59]

Police identified suspects as Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, describing them as active members of the Awami League.^{[60][36][41][61][42]} The Ministry of Home Affairs offered a reward for information.^[60] Several arrests were made in connection with the case.^[62]

In following clashes during the National Citizen Party’s March to Gopalganj campaign, he sharply criticized the situation using profanity and called for the dissolution of Gopalganj District, which generated widespread controversy and debate among many supporters of the former Awami League government.^[63][64][65] Later, amid criticism, he described his outburst as an ‘epic of liberation’ and expressed regret to anyone who may have been offended.^[66]

• Sharif, Shimanto (February 2024). লাভায় লালশাক পূবের আকাশ [The Eastern Sky Turned Red Amaranth by Lava] (in Bengali). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Duar Publications.^[67][68][69]