Hundreds of thousands attended the funeral of activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot in Dhaka on Dec. 12 and later died in a Singapore hospital. Authorities say suspects were identified and the alleged shooter likely fled to India, triggering a diplomatic dispute between Dhaka and New Delhi. Hadi’s death sparked protests and arson at two national newspapers; interim leader Muhammad Yunus called for calm. Hadi had planned an independent run in February’s elections amid a sensitive political transition.
Hundreds of Thousands Attend Funeral of Slain Bangladeshi Activist Sharif Osman Hadi Amid Rising Political Tensions
Protesters shout slogans and block an intersection following overnight attacks and vandalism after the death of a prominent activist, who was shot by an assailant a week ago, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered Saturday in Dhaka for the funeral of prominent activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who died from gunshot wounds sustained in an attack earlier this month. The large turnout and heightened emotions added to a tense political atmosphere ahead of national elections.
Hadi, who took part in last year’s uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, was shot in Dhaka on Dec. 12 and later died in a Singapore hospital on Thursday, authorities said.
Police announced they had identified suspects and said the alleged shooter most likely fled to India, where Hasina has been living in exile. The allegation prompted a new diplomatic spat: New Delhi summoned Bangladesh’s envoy, and Dhaka in turn summoned the Indian envoy to protest the development.
Funeral prayers were held outside the national Parliament complex under tight security. Hadi’s body was flown back to Dhaka Friday night, and the government declared Saturday a national day of mourning.
Hadi served as a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho cultural group. The group announced he would be buried on the Dhaka University campus beside the country’s national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam. Mourners waved Bangladesh flags and chanted slogans including, “We will be Hadi, we will be fighting decades after decades,” and “We will not let Hadi’s blood go in vain.”
News of Hadi’s death on Thursday evening sparked unrest in parts of the capital: groups of protesters attacked and set fire to the offices of two leading national newspapers. Interim leader and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus urged citizens to remain calm and appealed for restraint.
Hadi was an outspoken critic of both neighboring India and of Sheikh Hasina, who has been in exile since Aug. 5, 2024. He had planned to run as an independent candidate in a major Dhaka constituency in the national elections scheduled for February.
Bangladesh is undergoing a sensitive political transition under Yunus’s interim administration, which says it seeks to restore democratic governance through the upcoming vote. Until the upheaval last year, Hasina’s Awami League had been the governing party for 15 years. Her political rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, hopes to form the next government.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party with a controversial record tied to the 1971 independence war, is leading an alliance that aims to expand its political role amid the absence of Hasina’s party and its allies. Hasina has been sentenced to death on charges of crimes against humanity; the Yunus-led government has repeatedly requested her extradition from India, but New Delhi has not responded to those requests, officials say.
