• Source:JND

Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student leader and fierce critic of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and India’s influence in Bangladesh, was laid to rest on Saturday beside the mausoleum of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam at Dhaka University, as hundreds of thousands gathered in the capital amid heightened security.

Hadi, 32, succumbed to gunshot injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 18, six days after he was attacked by unidentified assailants in Dhaka. His death has further inflamed political tensions in Bangladesh, which is preparing for parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12.

Massive Turnout, Heavy Security In Capital

The funeral prayers were held at the South Plaza of the JatiyaSangsad Bhaban on Manik Mia Avenue, where vast crowds assembled from early morning, many carrying national flags and raising slogans demanding justice for the slain leader. Authorities declared a day of national mourning and deployed police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, and army units across key locations in Dhaka.

Police officials said access to the burial site was restricted, though tens of thousands were allowed to participate in the funeral prayers. Hadi’s elder brother, Abu Bakar, led the janaza. Following the prayers, the body was escorted under tight security to the Dhaka University campus, where burial preparations had been completed overnight.

Yunus Attends, Calls For Calm

Bangladesh’s interim chief adviser and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus attended the funeral, describing Hadi as a voice that would “live on in the hearts of Bangladeshis”. Yunus urged restraint amid rising unrest, following incidents of arson and attacks on media houses and cultural institutions after news of Hadi’s death broke on Thursday evening.

Several members of the interim administration, leaders of political parties and representatives of student organisations were also present at the prayer meeting.

Burial Site Sparks Political Debate

Hadi was buried beside Kazi Nazrul Islam, the revered “Bidrohi Kobi” and national poet of Bangladesh, a decision that has triggered sharp debate across the country. The Dhaka University administration said the approval was granted following requests from the Cabinet Division and the university’s students’ union, while Hadi’s organisation, Inqilab Mancha, maintained it was the family’s wish.

Supporters have hailed the burial as symbolic, portraying Hadi as a revolutionary figure of a “new Bangladesh”. Critics, however, argue that placing a radical political leader beside the poet known for his humanism and secular ideals is a politicisation of history.

Police have said suspects in the shooting have been identified and may have fled to India, where Sheikh Hasina has been living in exile since her ouster in August 2024. The claim has sparked a diplomatic exchange, with New Delhi and Dhaka summoning each other’s envoys earlier this week.

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Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Mancha platform, emerged as a key face of the July–August 2024 protests that ended Hasina’s 15-year rule. He was planning to contest the upcoming elections as an independent candidate from a Dhaka constituency.

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As Dhaka returns to uneasy calm, Hadi’s burial and the symbolism surrounding it underscore the deep political churn gripping Bangladesh in the run-up to a crucial election.


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