Sharif Osman Hadi’s Death Sparks Violent Protests across Dhaka

Sharif Osman Hadi’s death sparked overnight unrest in Bangladesh, as violent Dhaka protests targeted major newspaper offices amid escalating political tensions.

The death of Inqilab Mancha representative Sharif Osman Hadi experienced a new wave of protests in Bangladesh Thursday night, as part of the Bangladesh protests 2025. There were violent protests in several parts of the capital. Protesters attacked, damaged, and set fire to the offices of two of the country's leading newspapers, The Daily Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

After Osman Hadi's death was confirmed, that started at Shahbag and got worse at midnight. As per reports, protesters fled Shahbag and broke into the Prothom Alo office, where they damaged the building, threw computers and lit documents on fire.

After fighting for his life for seven days Inqilab Mancha spokesperson and well-known young leader Sharif Osman Hadi passed away. While under healthcare at Singapore General Hospital he passed away on Thursday night. Following the news of his death, Dhaka violent protests today erupted as students and members of the public in Dhaka closely protested his death at Shahbag Dhaka University and numerous important crossroads.

Since last year when then PM Sheikh Hasina was removed due to widespread Bangladesh protests 2025 led by opposition parties and students Bangladesh has been tense. The anger of the public over issues with governance and accusations of political persecution was the main cause of the Bangladesh protests 2025. Even when a new political system was put in place street tensions never completely decreased.

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal found Sheikh Hasina guilty in absentia of crimes against humanity for her involvement in the violent serious of the 2024 protests and sentenced her to death in a controversial ruling on the seventeenth of November 2025.  The result of the trial, which was made just months before the February 2026 national elections, triggered major reactions from individuals of every political party and increased the already tense environment.