Dhaka is once again witnessing violence after Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent leader of Bangladesh's student uprising last year, was shot by unidentified assailants in the nation's capital last week and later succumbed to his injuries in Singapore.
“Despite the best efforts of the doctors from SGH and the National Neuroscience Institute, Mr Hadi succumbed to his injuries on 18 December 2025,” read a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Singapore.
Hadi's campaign for the upcoming Bangladesh elections was in full swing when he was shot in the head by unidentified gunmen on 12 December. The attack took place on Culvert Road in Dhaka’s Paltan area, near a mosque, while he was travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw.
Hadi was wounded in the ear and was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital. From Evercare Hospital, the Yunus-led administration airlifted the Inquilab Moncho leader to Singapore for treatment on Saturday, after doctors in Bangladesh said his condition was extremely critical.
Late on Thursday, 18 December, the Foreign Ministry in Singapore said Hadi succumbed to his injuries from the assassination attempt.
Earlier, parents of prime suspect in Hadi's assassination attempt – Faisal Karim Masud – were sent to jail after they recorded their statements in the case filed over the attack.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Monirul Islam recorded the statements of Humayun Kabir, 70, and his wife Hasi Begum, 60, after police produced them before the court, a court official said. Following the recording, the magistrate ordered that they be sent to jail, reported Bangladeshi media outlet The Daily Star.
As unrest tore through Bangladesh following Hadi's death, Inqilab Moncho urged the public to avoid violence, vandalism, and arson that have erupted across the country. During the unrest, the offices of two media houses—The Daily Star and Prothom Alo—were set on fire.
In a late-night Facebook post on Thursday, Inquilab Moncho said: "Through destruction and fire, certain groups aim to render Bangladesh an ineffective state. They seek to undermine the independence and sovereignty of our country. You must understand -- 32 and 36 are not the same."
The post continued, "As the February elections approach, consider who truly benefits if unrest is created in the country. To maintain stability in Bangladesh, fully cooperate with the government and refrain from violence."
