US embassy in Bangladesh ‘mourning the loss of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi’ with silence on violence

The US Embassy in Bangladesh issued a statement on Friday, “mourning the loss” of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who died in Singapore while being on treatment after an assassination attempt back home.

“The U.S. Embassy joins the people of Bangladesh in mourning the loss of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi and offers our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and supporters,” the US mission said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy joins the people of Bangladesh in mourning the loss of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi and offers our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and supporters. pic.twitter.com/gpkdn2njqD

— U.S. Embassy Dhaka (@usembassydhaka) December 19, 2025

Hadi's death was announced by the Singapore Foreign Ministry late on Thursday. He was flown to Singapore for treatment after unidentified assailants shot him in Dhaka, while travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw on Culvert Road in the Paltan area.

Catch all the live updates on Bangladesh unrest here

Hadi, a member of the anti-Hasina platform Inqilab Manch and known for his outspoken anti-India views, was campaigning in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area when he was attacked. He is contesting as an Independent from the Dhaka-8 constituency. Police said the attackers fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene.

Protests erupt across B’desh

Overnight unrest erupted in an already unstable Bangladesh after the death of Hadi. Thousands took to the streets of the country’s capital, Dhaka, on Thursday and early Friday, demanding justice for the slain activist.

Hadi died in a hospital in Singapore after succumbing to gunshot injuries sustained in an assassination attempt last week. Violent demonstrations rapidly spread from Dhaka to other parts of the country, with protesters raising  "anti-India" slogans.

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Some even marched toward the Indian diplomatic premises and attacked properties linked to the former ruling Awami League. Protesters in the southwestern city of Rajshahi tried to march toward the office of a regional Indian diplomat. However, the Bangladeshi police soon stopped the procession.

Videos of the unrest spread like wildfire online, with protesters seen pelting stones near the Indian Assistant High Commission office. Meanwhile, on  Wednesday, hundreds conducted a demonstration in Dhaka and attempted to gather outside the Indian diplomatic premises.