From Humble Roots to Martyrdom: The Full Life of Sharif Osman Hadi (1993-2025)

Published: December 19, 2025 | Dhaka, Bangladesh

A son of poverty who shook a nation, Sharif Osman Hadi's 32 years embodied Gen-Z defiance, rising from rural Madrasa benches to lead Bangladesh's revolutionary uprising—only to fall as a martyr sparking nationwide fury.[web:52][web:54]

1. Early Life in Rural Bangladesh

Born June 30, 1993, in Nalchity Upazila, Jhalakathi district, southern Bangladesh, Sharif grew up in a modest Muslim family where his father commanded local respect despite financial struggles.[web:52][web:53][web:54] Rural hardships instilled resilience and a deep sense of *insaf* (justice), values rooted in Islamic teachings that would define his activism.[web:57][web:62]

2. Education and Formative Influences

Hadi received early religious education at Jhalakathi N.S. Kamil Madrasa, blending faith with discipline before pursuing Political Science at the University of Dhaka in the 2010-2011 session.[web:52][web:53] University life amid student movements sharpened his critique of corruption; he later taught and wrote at private institutions like Saifur's coaching center, honing oratory that mixed moral fervor with sharp political analysis.[web:53][web:57]

3. Awakening as a Student Activist

At Dhaka University, Hadi emerged unaffiliated with major parties, railing against elite dynasties, Awami League authoritarianism, and India's alleged interference in Bangladesh's sovereignty.[web:53][web:54][web:62] His social media speeches—raw, viral calls for accountability—resonated with youth weary of patronage politics, positioning him as an authentic voice for change.[web:52][web:56]

4. Leadership in the July 2024 Uprising

Hadi rocketed to fame during the 2024 student quota protests that ignited the July Mass Uprising, toppling Sheikh Hasina's 16-year regime after crackdowns killed over 1,000.[web:52][web:54][web:59] On August 13, 2024, he co-founded Inquilab Mancha ("Revolutionary Platform") at DU's Teacher-Student Centre, serving as spokesperson to honor martyrs, demand Awami League bans, and enforce International Crimes Tribunal justice.[web:52][web:53][web:54] His fierce anti-India rhetoric on water-sharing, borders, and politics galvanized nationalists.[web:62]

5. Political Ambition and Electoral Bid

In 2025, under Muhammad Yunus's interim government, Hadi declared as an independent candidate for Dhaka-8 (Uttara) in the February 2026 elections, challenging BNP dominance with a Gen-Z platform of reforms and cultural mobilization.[web:52][web:54][web:46] In a nation where 65% are under 35, his unaffiliated rallies tested uprising ideals against entrenched power.[web:62]

6. Mounting Threats and Defiance

Death threats escalated—phone calls, messages warning of family harm—but Hadi pressed on, embodying fearlessness amid post-uprising tensions and emerging Gen-Z parties like NCP.[web:54][web:55][web:59]

7. The Assassination: December 12, 2025

Around 2:25 PM, post-Friday prayers in Dhaka's Bijoynagar (Purana Paltan), motorcycle-borne masked gunmen shot Hadi in the jaw/ear at close range while he rode a rickshaw; the premeditated plot, allegedly by ex-Chhatra League's Faisal Karim Masud (fled to India with Alamgir Sheikh), sought to derail polls.[web:27][web:44][web:54]

8. Final Battle and Death

Rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (coma, GCS 3), then Evercare, Hadi was airlifted December 15 to Singapore General Hospital's Neurosurgical ICU.[web:35][web:54] Despite treatment and a Singapore FM visit on December 17, he succumbed around 9:30-9:45 PM on December 18 from injuries.[web:35][web:36][web:54] His body returned for Janaza prayers.[web:40]

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Sources: Wikipedia [web:54], Prothom Alo [web:27][web:44], Al Jazeera [web:35], biographical videos [web:52], Le Monde [page:2], Indian Express [page:1]. All data current as of December 19, 2025.