Almost 50 years after the rebel Bangla poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was laid to rest near the Dhaka University Mosque in 1976, Inquilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to an assassin’s bullet, was buried beside the Bangladeshi national poet. Dhaka turned into a sea of people on Saturday. Lakhs flooded the streets, thousands arrived from nearby areas, and the capital brimmed with people trying to get a glimpse of Hadi’s burial.
Almost 50 years after the rebel Bangla poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was laid to rest near the Dhaka University Mosque in 1976, Inquilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who succumbed to an assassin’s bullet, was buried beside the Bangladeshi national poet. Dhaka turned into a sea of people on Saturday. Lakhs flooded the streets, thousands arrived from nearby areas, and the capital brimmed with people trying to get a glimpse of Hadi’s burial.
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For many who attended the burial, the news felt surreal. Many in Bangladesh have been drawing parallels between the two, as Nazrul’s lines often became Hadi’s ammunition, as seen in viral reels and shorts. Enraged by the happenings, the anti-Sheikh Hasina leaders have been raised to the status of “Bipobi” by the student leaders of New Bangladesh.
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“I am the storm, the whirlwind. I am the indomitable Rudra, the restless sound. The sky bursts with the laughter of thunder, the sky floats at my touch. I come as a flood, pulling the waves to my chest. I uproot trees, break roofs, play all kinds of games of fear. I am the whirlwind, breathing fire, the dance of death floats in the water. People tremble, towns tremble, dust falls at my feet.”
Hadi’s Funeral Brings Dhaka to a Standstill
Sharif Osman Hadi was the spokesperson of the anti-Hasina political platform Inqilab Mancha, a group that emerged during the July–August 2024 agitation that toppled her regime. The 32-year-old was a prominent figure of the anti-Hasina movement.
Hadi always critiqued India’s influence in Bangladesh. Hadi, who was contesting the 2026 general election as an independent candidate from Dhaka-8, was shot by unidentified gunmen on December 12 and later succumbed to his injuries.
He was shot a day before Bangladesh’s Election Commission announced that the election would take place on February 12, 2026. Unidentified gunmen attacked Hadi as he was travelling on a battery-run rickshaw.
After the news of his death broke on Thursday night, hundreds of people swarmed the streets of Dhaka. The crowd, unleashed violence and anarchy. Dhaka descended into chaos, cultural centres were attacked, and the remnants of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house were ransacked again. To pacify the situation, security has been tightened, and police, RAB, Ansar, and army units have been deployed in and around the funeral site, with law enforcement on high alert to prevent any further flare-ups, reported Dhaka-based Bangla daily Desh Rupantor.
People Debate Why Osman Hadi Has Been Buried Beside Kazi Nazrul Islam
Preparations for the burial at the Dhaka University premises, beside the grave of Kazi Nazrul Islam, began on Saturday. After midnight on Friday, university proctor Saifuddin Ahmed confirmed that Osman Hadi would be laid to rest next to Nazrul Islam, one of Bangla’s most iconic poets. The decision, as per media reports, was taken in an emergency online meeting of the Dhaka University Syndicate held at 10:30 pm on Friday.
The university staff and administration had inspected the proposed burial site after receiving two applications. A map was prepared to identify a vacant space, and the final approval came at the Syndicate meeting.
Hadi Family's Wish
Inqilab Mancha had also said that Hadi’s family wanted him to be buried beside the grave of Kazi Nazrul Islam. The decision was taken in accordance with the family’s wishes.
Sharif Osman Hadi’s activism journey began at the university. From such a humble beginning to an end that thousands wanted to witness in the post-Hasina period, his popularity grew by leaps and bounds. Hadi was a radical anti-Hasina leader and was widely known for his speeches during the anti-Hasina July–August 2024 protests. Back then, he had received Nazrul’s “Bidrohi.” Now that he finally rests next to the national poet, many question whether he has been elevated to the same stature as well.
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