Bangladesh mourns death of student uprising leader Osman Hadi after Singapore hospital treatment

Bangladesh is mourning the death of prominent student leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, who died on 18 December 2025 while receiving treatment at a Singapore hospital following a shooting in Dhaka earlier this month.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his death in a statement issued on Thursday, saying that despite intensive medical efforts, Hadi succumbed to his injuries while under specialist care.

According to the ministry, Hadi had been evacuated by air from Bangladesh to Singapore General Hospital on 15 December 2025 for emergency treatment in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit.

The statement said doctors from Singapore General Hospital and the National Neuroscience Institute had treated him, but his injuries proved fatal.

The ministry added it was assisting the Bangladesh High Commission with arrangements to repatriate his body.

National grief and official condolences

Hadi’s death prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes from political leaders and citizens across Bangladesh, where he had emerged as a key figure in the 2024 student-led uprising.

Interim government head Muhammad Yunus described the loss as devastating, calling Hadi’s death “an irreparable loss for the nation” in a Facebook post shared shortly after the confirmation.

Yunus said he received the news directly from Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan during a phone call, describing the moment as heartbreaking.

“The country’s march towards democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed,” Yunus wrote, adding that Hadi had become a powerful symbol of resistance.

He praised the slain student leader’s character, saying Hadi represented “patriotism, patience and fortitude” through his actions during the protest movement.

Vow of justice and state mourning

Yunus also vowed accountability, stating that all those involved in what he described as a brutal murder would be swiftly brought to justice and face the highest punishment under the law.

The interim government announced special prayers at mosques nationwide after Friday prayers, alongside a half-day of national mourning scheduled for Saturday.

Details of the shooting and medical condition

According to a report by the Dhaka Tribune, Hadi was shot in the head on 12 December 2025 while travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw in Dhaka.

The attacker reportedly fired from a motorcycle before fleeing the scene. Hadi was initially taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for emergency treatment.

Local physicians later told the Dhaka Tribune that Hadi had suffered severe brain stem damage, prompting his transfer to Singapore for advanced medical care.

Political profile and rising influence

Hadi, aged 32, was a senior leader of the student protest platform Inqilab Mancha and had gained prominence during demonstrations demanding democratic reforms.

Local media had reported that he was being considered as a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the national elections scheduled for February.

He was also known as a vocal critic of India, a longstanding ally of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who remains in self-imposed exile following her ouster.

Announcing his death on Facebook, Inqilab Mancha described Hadi as a martyr, stating that he had fallen in the struggle against what it termed Indian hegemony.

Manhunt underway as protests erupt

Police have launched a nationwide hunt for those responsible, releasing photographs of two key suspects and offering a reward of five million taka, or about US$42,000, for information leading to arrests.

Authorities said at least 20 individuals linked to the incident have been detained so far, although investigations into the killing remain ongoing.

The National Citizen Party said in a press statement that it was deeply saddened by Hadi’s death and extended condolences to his family and supporters.

Street unrest and media offices targeted

Following confirmation of his death, hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka and other cities, expressing anger and grief.

One group gathered outside the headquarters of the Bengali-language daily Prothom Alo in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar area before forcing their way into the building, according to multiple online media reports.

Another group reportedly entered the premises of the Daily Star and set parts of the building on fire, according to footage published by Kaler Kantha.

Soldiers and paramilitary border guards were deployed outside both media offices but did not intervene to disperse the crowds.

Speaking on Saturday, Yunus said the shooting was a premeditated attack carried out by a powerful network, without naming those responsible.

He warned that the objective of the attackers was to derail the upcoming election, describing the killing as symbolic and intended to sabotage the democratic process.