Bangladesh Holds State Mourning For Slain Uprising Leader Sharif Osman Hadi
Bangladesh observed a national day of mourning on Saturday as thousands gathered in Dhaka to attend the funeral of Sharif Osman Hadi, a key leader of the country’s 2024 student-led uprising, whose killing earlier this month sparked widespread protests and unrest.
The funeral prayers were held at the South Plaza of the Parliament House (Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban) in Dhaka under tight security.
Police wearing body cameras were deployed across the capital to prevent further violence. As a mark of respect, the national flag was flown at half-staff on all public and private buildings throughout the country.
Tens of thousands of people from different parts of Bangladesh attended the funeral, reflecting Hadi’s influence among young protesters and civil society groups.
BREAKING 🚨🇧🇩#Bangladesh: Massive crowd gathers at the funeral of youth leader Osman Hadi.
Lakhs turn up in Dhaka as grief turns into a show of street strength. pic.twitter.com/0NvUXuiSJb— Prashant (@prashant10gaur) December 20, 2025
After the prayers, Hadi was laid to rest at the university central mosque, beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam.
Hadi, 32, was the spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho (Platform for Revolution). He died in a hospital in Singapore on Thursday after succumbing to gunshot wounds.
He had been shot in the head by masked attackers in Dhaka more than a week earlier. His death triggered two days of protests, during which several parts of the country witnessed arson, vandalism and mob violence.
Although the protests eased by Saturday, reports of damage continued to emerge. Media houses, cultural institutions and political buildings were among the targets.
Leading newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star reported attacks on their offices, forcing staff to take shelter, though both papers vowed to continue publishing online. The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy suspended all events citing security concerns.
Inquilab Moncho appealed to supporters to attend the funeral peacefully and urged them to avoid violence.
(With inputs from Al Jazeera)
