‘Revealing & surprising’: Ex-foreign secretary slams US sympathy for anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi

Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal on Friday criticised the United States Embassy in Dhaka for expressing condolences over the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a controversial Bangladeshi youth leader known for his outspoken anti-India stance, calling the move “revealing and surprising.” 

In a post on X (formally twitter), Sibal slammed to the embassy’s statement mourning Hadi’s death, arguing that it reflected a deeper US interest in a group that has openly positioned itself against India. 

“Revealing and surprising post by the US embassy in Dhaka. Hadi was an outspoken critic of India,” Sibal wrote. He cited a statement issued by Hadi’s organisation, Inqilab Mancha, after his death, which described him as a martyr in the “struggle against Indian hegemony.” 

“Judging by this post the US had a vested interest in this overtly anti-Indian group. The embassy is offering their deep condolences to his supporters too,” Sibal added. 

The US Embassy in Dhaka had earlier posted, “The US 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.” 

Hadi, an Inqilab Mancha spokesperson and a prominent figure in Bangladesh’s July uprising, died in a Singapore hospital on Thursday, a week after he was shot at by masked gunmen in Dhaka. He was 32. 

Death sparks violence in Bangladesh 

Hadi’s death has triggered widespread unrest across Bangladesh, with reports of mob violence, arson and attacks on media houses in Dhaka and other cities. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government appealed for restraint as tensions escalated following the arrival of Hadi’s body in Dhaka on Thursday evening. 

In a first in its 27-year history, Bangladesh’s leading daily Prothom Alo was forced to shut operations on Friday after a violent mob vandalised and looted its Dhaka office before setting it on fire. Its online edition remained inaccessible for nearly 17 hours. Another major daily, The Daily Star, also came under attack amid the unrest. 

The violence also claimed the life of a Hindu man, identified as 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched by a mob over alleged blasphemy. Das was working in a factory in Mymensingh. According to the police, Das was beaten by the mob outside the factory where he worked. His body was hanged from a tree and set on fire.

The protests intensified on December 18 night, with demonstrators citing Hadi’s killing as the immediate trigger. Security forces were deployed in sensitive areas as authorities struggled to contain the violence. 

Who was Sharif Osman Hadi? 

Born in 1994 in Nalchity Upazila of Jhalokhati district, Sharif Osman Hadi emerged as a radical youth leader over the past few years. He gained prominence during the student-led uprising last year that culminated in the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

Hadi served as a senior leader and spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho, a student protest group that played a key role in the July uprising. He was widely known for his sharp criticism of India and was regarded by supporters as one of the leading figures of the movement. 

According to multiple reports, Hadi had recently announced plans to contest the Dhaka-8 constituency in the upcoming Bangladesh elections as an independent candidate. 

Hadi was shot on December 12 while campaigning in Dhaka. The attack occurred on Culvert Road in the Paltan area, near a mosque, as he was travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw. Unknown assailants opened fire, striking him in the head. 

He was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Evercare Hospital as his condition deteriorated. Doctors described his injuries as critical. The interim government subsequently arranged for his airlift to Singapore for advanced medical treatment. 

On December 18, Singapore’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Hadi had succumbed to injuries sustained in the shooting.