Dhaka – Tens of thousands of people gathered at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka on Saturday for the funeral prayers of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson for the Inqilab Manch, as Bangladesh observed a day of state mourning in his honor.
Hadi, a key figure in last year’s mass uprising, died in a Singapore hospital on Thursday, a week after being shot at close range by masked assailants in Dhaka’s Paltan area on December 12.
After initial treatment in Dhaka, he was airlifted to Singapore for advanced care but succumbed to his injuries. His body was repatriated on Friday.
Earlier on Saturday, his autopsy was completed at Suhrawardy Hospital. Following a ritual bathing at the National Heart Institute, his body was taken in a procession of activists and supporters to Manik Miah Avenue at the parliament complex.
The funeral prayer, led by his elder brother Abu Bakr Siddiq, was attended by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus, cabinet colleagues, and leaders of major political parties.
Crowds had begun gathering in the area from the morning. By noon, Manik Miah Avenue at Farmgate, Bijoy Sarani, Asad Gate, and surrounding areas were filled with mourners chanting slogans such as, “We will all become Hadi, we will fight on through the ages,” and “We will not let Hadi Bhai’s blood be in vain.”
According to the Inqilab Manch, Hadi will be buried beside National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on the Dhaka University campus in the afternoon, in accordance with his family’s wishes.
Following news of Hadi’s death, Chief Adviser Yunus announced the state mourning in a televised address. The national flag is being flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government, and autonomous offices; educational institutions; public and private buildings; and at Bangladeshi missions abroad.
His death has sparked widespread protests. During overnight demonstrations on Thursday, the offices of two major newspapers, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, were vandalized and set on fire in Dhaka. Vandalism was also reported from other parts of the country.
