Bangladesh tense and in mourning after radical leader Hadi dies in Singapore hospital

Daily Update, World

Dhaka erupted with the news of the demise of Sharif Osman Hadi with thousands of his followers gathering at the capital’s central neighborhoods chanting slogans.

A man walks after a group of people set fire to The Daily Star newspaper office building following the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a student leader who had been receiving treatment in Singapore after being shot in the head, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on December 19, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Bangladesh

Bangladesh will observe a day of national mourning on Saturday (December 20, 2025) and all places of worship on Friday (December 19) will offer special prayers for Sharif Osman Hadi, the upcoming right-wing leader who passed away in Singapore on Thursday (December 18, 2025). Hadi was shot by unknown assailants on December 12 and he was sent to Singapore for medical care earlier this week.

In a speech telecast late night, Chief Advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh Mohammed Yunus announced that Singapore’s Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, had called him and conveyed the news about the passing of Hadi. The disrupting effect of Hadi’s passing was amplified by the announcement by Mohammed Sarjis Alam of National Citizen Party who has accused India of sheltering the killers of Hadi and called for shutting down the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

Once again,

I want to say this obviously that Osman Hadi was the enemy of the defeated fascist forces. The attempt to silence the voice of the revolutionaries by silencing him will be completely defeated. No one can stop the democratic progress of this country through terrorism or bloodshed,” said Mr. Yunus announcing that the government of Bangladesh will look after Hadi’s family.

Mr. Yunus said the perpetrators of the murder of Hadi will be given strictest punishment adding “We will not show any leniency towards the perpetrators of this heinous crime.” The Chief Advisor said that Bangladesh should not fall for the trap set by “defeated fascist forces” and avoid instability. Acting Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, London-based Tarique Rahman has also condoled the passing of Hadi who was the leader of Inquilab Mancho, a radical outfit and was expected to contest from Dhaka in the upcoming election.

“After the mass July uprising, he played an incredible role in defending the rights of the July fighters, upholding democratic values, and protecting national interests,” said Mr Rahman condoling the untimely death. Mr. Rahman is expected to return from London, ending 18-years of exile, on December 25.

Dhaka erupted with the news of the demise of Sharif Osman Hadi with thousands of his followers gathering at the capital’s central neighborhoods chanting slogans. In the process, two offices belonging to Prothom Alo and Daily Star – the biggest Bengali and English newspapers of Bangladesh were burnt down by the mob.

Late evening’s developments came after days of tension in which Hadi’s supporters have said that the assailants who shot him have escaped to India. Echoing the sentiment, Mohammed Sarjis Alam, prominent leader of the newly launched National Citizen Party (NCP) in a social media post has said, “Indian High Commission should be shut till the time murderers of martyred brother Hadi are returned by India.” Protesters tried to attack the Assistant High Commission of India in Rajshahi on Thursday and a similar attempt was made on Wednesday when a radical outfit July Mancho had tried to march to the Indian High Commission. In both instances, the police provided security to the Indian missions. Earlier, on Wednesday morning India had summoned the High Commissioner of Bangladesh Riaz Hamidullah and reminded Dhaka about the responsibility of the host country towards the safety and security of Indian missions in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Unrest Updates:

Bangladesh has been rocked by violent protests since late Thursday after the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, with concerns of further unrest ahead of national elections in the country.

Hadi, a student leader during last year’s uprising that overthrew the Hasi Sheikhna government, was shot in the head by masked assailants last Friday as he launched his election campaign in Dhaka. He was initially treated at a local hospital before being moved to Singapore, where he died after spending six days on life support.

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

The protests saw emotionally charged slogans invoking Hadi’s name. A report by the news agency Reuters said that several areas remained tense late into Thursday night, with additional security forces deployed to prevent further violence.

Reacting to Hadi ‘s death, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said, “His passing represents an irreplaceable loss to the nation’s political and democratic sphere.” Yunus ensured a transparent investigation into Hadi’s death and urged citizens to remain calm.

Here are all the updates on the violent protests in Bangladesh:

3 Media Houses Unable To Print Friday Edition
Three leading media houses in Bangladesh– The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, and The Business Standard, will not be printing their Friday edition amid the unrest in Bangladesh. The protesters had vandalized the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.

In a statement, Prothom Alo said, “As the office of Prothom Alo was subjected to massive attacks, vandalism and arson last night, it was not possible to continue its normal operations. Therefore, the printed version of Prothom Alo could not be published today. Its online portal is also temporarily closed.”

“We express our sincere apologies to our readers for this. We will restore the damaged technical system as soon as possible and resume publication of Prothom Alo online and in the newspaper. We seek the cooperation of our readers in this regard,” the publication added.

Though the office of The Business Standard was not attacked, the media house said it would not be printing the Friday edition as the press was shut down due to security concerns.

Massive Security Deployed Outside Indian Assistant High Commission
Massive has been deployed outside the Indian Assistant high Commission in Bangladesh‘s Chittagong. The army has been deployed outside the premises. Earlier, a group of protesters staged a sit-in outside the Commission following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi. The protesters gathered outside the commission’s office at around 11 pm local time on Thursday.

Who Was Student Leader Sharif Osman Hadi?

The latest unrest in Bangladesh happened following the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi on Thursday. Last week, Hadi was shot by masked assailants in Dhaka. He was first taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to Singapore, where he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.

Hadi had been a key figure in the 2024 uprising that ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He was a candidate in the upcoming elections in the country. He was known for his anti-India rhetoric.