Bangladesh Student Leader Sharif Osman Hadi Dies in Singapore Hospital

Bangladesh student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in the 2024 student uprising, has died in a Singapore hospital. He was 32 years old. Hadi had been shot in an assassination attempt in Dhaka a week ago and was flown to Singapore for treatment.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his death, saying, “Despite the best efforts of the doctors, Mr Hadi succumbed to his injuries.” Authorities are helping Bangladesh repatriate his body.

Inqilab Moncho, the student protest group he represented, announced his death on Facebook, calling him a martyr for the struggle against Indian influence.

Attack and Background

Hadi was shot by masked gunmen as he was leaving a mosque in Dhaka. He was wounded in the ear and immediately airlifted to Singapore on Monday for medical treatment.

He was a candidate in Bangladesh’s upcoming February 2026 parliamentary elections, the first since a student-led uprising toppled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government last year.

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, confirmed Hadi’s death. Yunus expressed grief, saying, “His demise is an irreparable loss for the nation. The country’s march toward democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed.”

Special prayers were ordered at mosques, and a half-day mourning has been announced for Saturday.

Political Tensions and Manhunt

Hadi was a senior leader of Inqilab Moncho and an outspoken critic of India, a longtime ally of ousted Prime Minister Hasina.

Bangladesh police launched a manhunt for the attackers. They released photos of two main suspects and offered a reward of five million taka (around $42,000) for information leading to their arrest.

Yunus called the shooting a premeditated act by a powerful network, designed to disrupt the elections and demonstrate their strength.

Bangladesh, home to 170 million people, is preparing to vote for 300 lawmakers, with 50 more selected on a women’s list. A referendum on democratic reforms will also be held on the same day.

Ongoing Political Crisis

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, sentenced to death in absentia last month, remains in India. Her return has been refused, despite Dhaka’s requests.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by three-time former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is expected to win the upcoming elections. Zia is currently in intensive care in Dhaka. Her son, Tarique Rahman, the party’s political heir, is returning from exile in Britain on December 25 after 17 years.

Tensions remain high in Bangladesh as the nation prepares for a critical election.