Bangladesh: Sharif Osman Hadi dies after shooting; Dhaka sees arson, media offices attacked
Guwahati: Sharif Osman Hadi, a central figure of Bangladesh’s July Uprising and convener of the Inqilab Moncho, died on Thursday, December 18, 2025, while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore. He had sustained gunshot injuries in an attack last week and remained on life support for six days before succumbing to his wounds.
Chief Adviser of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, confirmed Hadi’s death in a late-night televised address. Calling the development deeply painful, Yunus assured the nation that authorities would act swiftly to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing.
He later announced a one-day state mourning on Saturday, December 20, directing that the national flag be flown at half-mast across government offices, educational institutions, and Bangladeshi missions abroad. Special prayers were also ordered in mosques nationwide.
News of Hadi’s death triggered an immediate outpouring of anger and grief in Dhaka. Hundreds of students and supporters gathered at Shahbagh intersection near the Dhaka University campus, chanting slogans such as “Who are you, who am I – Hadi, Hadi.” As the night progressed, protests swelled into thousands across different parts of the capital.
The demonstrations soon turned violent. Authorities reported multiple incidents of arson and vandalism, including attacks on buildings housing Bangladesh’s leading newspapers, Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
At Karwan Bazar, protesters stormed the Prothom Alo office, vandalised several floors, and set fires near the premises while journalists and staff remained trapped inside. A similar attack targeted The Daily Star building, where reporters described suffocating conditions as smoke filled the newsroom.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control around 1:40 am and rescued at least 27 employees from the burning Daily Star building. Consulting editor Kamal Ahmed said the newspaper was forced to suspend publication for the first time in its history.
Violence spread beyond media houses. Protesters vandalised the partially demolished residence of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32, attempting to pull down remaining structures and setting fire to a poster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In Chattogram, demonstrators hurled stones at the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner around 1:30 am, though no damage was reported. Police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse crowds and detained at least 12 protesters.
Amid the unrest, Inqilab Moncho appealed to the public to refrain from violence, vandalism, and arson, even as tensions continued to grip the country. The interim government rejected rumours and misinformation circulating on social media and urged citizens to remain calm and united.
Sharif Osman Hadi had emerged as a prominent and polarising figure during the July–August 2024 uprising that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Known as a vocal critic of India and a frontline organiser of the movement, Hadi and his group played a major role in campaigns against the Awami League, which was disbanded earlier this year by the Yunus-led interim administration.
As Bangladesh remains on edge following Hadi’s death, security has been tightened nationwide, and investigations into both the killing and the subsequent violence are continuing.