“The verdict of death is not delivered on earth, it is delivered in the heavens. If I go, my child will continue the struggle, and then his child will carry it forward.” These were the words spoken by Sharif Osman Hadi on September 4 this year.
A prominent figure of the July uprising, Hadi was shot in the Bijoynagar area of Paltan in Dhaka last Friday. After sustaining critical injuries, he was taken to Singapore for advanced medical treatment, where he passed away late Thursday night.
Sharif Osman Hadi was considered a potential independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 parliamentary constituency and was known for his powerful and emotional speeches. One of his widely quoted statements was:
“From generation to generation, the children of freedom will keep the flag of independence flying high. There is no use in fearing death. We were born from our mothers’ wombs to embrace martyrdom.”
Supporters praised his courage and determination, while members of the ruling party viewed him as controversial. Since the July uprising, Hadi remained a widely discussed figure. Even after the fall of Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the uprising, Hadi did not retreat from public life. Instead, his political position became clearer and more popular through continuous participation in street movements.
He was a student of the 2010–2011 session in the Department of Political Science at the University of Dhaka. His ancestral home was in Nalchiti of Jhalokathi district. He gained recognition for his role in anti-discrimination movements. After the July uprising, a National Citizens’ Committee was formed, of which Hadi was a member, although he did not later join the National Citizens Party (NCP).
Following the uprising, Hadi formed his own platform named Inquilab Manch. Through this platform, he organized protests, rallies, and hunger strikes, demanding the banning of the ruling party, trials for those responsible for the July violence, and security guarantees for participants of the uprising.
The declared objectives of Inquilab Manch were to oppose all forms of domination, protect independence and sovereignty, and establish a justice-based state. Hadi was one of the leading voices demanding a ban on the ruling party. After a tribunal delivered a death sentence against Sheikh Hasina, he described the verdict as a historic precedent for the world.
During a speech at the University of Dhaka in July, Hadi warned that if the BNP came to power by following “old-style politics,” it would not survive even two years. He also criticized the weaknesses of interim governments and called for the formation of a national government.
Hadi was also a writer, using the pen name Simanto Sharif. He authored a poetry collection titled Lavay Lalshak Puber Akash. He worked as a teacher at Saifur’s coaching center, and one English book of his was published by Saifur’s Publishing.
Earlier this year, he stated on Facebook that he had received death threats from at least 30 different phone numbers, alleging that supporters of the ruling party were constantly monitoring him. Despite fearing for his life, he vowed never to step back from the struggle for justice.