'His Blood Won't Go In Vain': Crowds At Funeral Of Bangladesh Leader

Hundreds of thousands of mourners poured into central Dhaka on Saturday to bid farewell to Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent Bangladeshi activist whose death from gunshot wounds earlier this month has further inflamed an already volatile political climate ahead of national elections.

From dawn, groups of people arrived towards Manik Mia Avenue, quickly filling the area outside the Parliament complex. Many draped themselves in the national flag, while others shouted demands for accountability over Hadi's killing. 

Authorities rolled out heavy security for the funeral at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Police officers equipped with body cameras were stationed across Dhaka, while the national flag was lowered to half-staff at public and private institutions in observance of the official day of mourning. Additional forces from the Border Guard Bangladesh and police units were deployed around the Parliament and other strategic locations, according to BDNews24.

#WATCH | Bangladesh | The funeral procession of Osman Hadi, a key leader in the protests against Sheikh Hasina, who died on 18 December, is underway at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka. pic.twitter.com/FSoJSfM6TT

— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025

Hadi's elder brother, Abu Bakar, led the janaza prayers. Immediately afterward, the body was escorted under tight security to the Dhaka University campus, where burial preparations had been completed overnight. The grave was dug beside the mausoleum of Bangladesh's national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam.

"In line with the earlier announcement, the body was not kept for public viewing, and only select people were allowed to witness the burial," a police officer said.

While access to the burial itself was restricted, police permitted tens of thousands to take part in the funeral prayers. Many in the crowd raised political slogans, including "Delhi or Dhaka - Dhaka, Dhaka" and "brother Hadi's blood will not be allowed to go in vain."

Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho cultural platform, had emerged as a key figure during last year's political uprising that brought an end to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year tenure. He was shot in Dhaka on December 12 and later flown to Singapore, where he died in hospital on Thursday. His body was returned to Bangladesh late Friday.

Police have said suspects have been identified and allegedly may have fled to India, where Hasina has been living in exile. The claim has triggered fresh diplomatic tensions, with New Delhi summoning Bangladesh's envoy earlier this week, followed by Dhaka calling in the Indian envoy in response.

Saturday's funeral came against the backdrop of an approaching parliamentary election scheduled for February 12.