Who was Sharif Osman Hadi? Radical youth leader behind Inqilab Mancha – All about his ideology and movement

Violent overnight protests sparked in Bangladesh after the death of radical youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi on Thursday (Dec 18). Thousands of people took to the streets after his death, demanding his killers’ arrest. Angry protestors set fire to several buildings in the capital, including offices of two leading newspapers, with staff trapped inside.

Protesters also blocked a major highway that connects Dhaka with other parts of the country and vandalised the home of a former minister in Chittagong in southeastern Bangladesh. The residence of Bangladesh’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Sheikh Hasina, was also vandalised and set on fire by violent protesters. Meanwhile, stones were hurled at the Assistant High Commission of India and the nearby residences of officials in the port city of Chittagong.

Sharif Osman Hadi and Inqilab Mancha

Hadi, the leader of the country’s 2024 pro-democracy uprising, was a polarising figure known for his strong anti-India stance. He was shot by masked assailants while leaving a mosque in Dhaka. Hadi was airlifted to a hospital in Singapore for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries on Thursday (Dec 18).

The 32-year-old was the founder of Inqilab Mancha, a radical student group of Dhaka University that was established following the July Revolution in 2024. Inquilab Mancha describes itself as a “revolutionary cultural platform inspired by the spirit of uprising.” The group played a key role in the violent student-led protest that led to the downfall of Hasina’s government.

Hadi has made several controversial statements, including some anti-India ones, for the perceived support for Hasina, who has been hiding in India since fleeing Bangladesh after violence broke out last year. Hadi emerged as one of the key figures of the Bangladesh uprising of August 2024.

Several students who took part in the uprising were killed, while others were injured. Leaders of Inqilab Mancha blamed the Awami League for the attacks, accusing the party of carrying out secret killings.

The 2024 protests erupted after long-running resentment over a quota system that reserved 56 per cent of government positions in the country for various groups, including 30 per cent for descendants of freedom fighters who fought in the 1971 War of Independence. However, the youth population viewed the system as a barrier to highly coveted civil service positions.

Following this, the protesters demanded the immediate cancellation of the registration of the Awami League, arrests of those responsible for the killings, and ensuring the safety of all July movement participants.
On Friday (Dec 19), at least three cases of arson were reported in Dhaka. Buildings of newspapers, Daily Star and Prothom Alo, were targeted in the attacks. The protestors have accused the two largest papers of aligning with India, where Sheikh Hasina has been staying after her ouster.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh police have launched a manhunt for Hadi’s shooter. The authorities have released photographs of two key suspects in the killing and have offered a reward of 5 million taka (about $42,000) for any information leading to their arrest.