Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha and a potential independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, has died while receiving treatment at Singapore General Hospital.

He passed away at around 9:30pm on Thursday, according to confirmation posts shared on Facebook by Inqilab Mancha and Osman Hadi’s official page. The posts stated that “Allah has accepted the great revolutionary Osman Hadi as a martyr in the struggle against Indian hegemony.”

Hadi was shot in the head on December 12, a day after the schedule for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election and a referendum was announced. The attack took place in broad daylight on Box Culvert Road in Purana Paltan, Dhaka. Investigators later identified a leader of the banned Chhatra League as the shooter, who is believed to have fled to India.

Initially, Hadi was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in the capital as his condition deteriorated. On Monday, he was flown to Singapore by air ambulance for advanced treatment under government arrangements.

The shooting triggered widespread concern across the country. BNP and several other political parties described the incident as a conspiracy to derail the upcoming election, while many feared an escalation of covert attacks and sabotage during the electoral process.

About a month before the attack, Hadi had publicly disclosed receiving death threats. In a Facebook post last November, he said he had been threatened via phone calls and messages from at least 30 domestic and foreign numbers, alleging constant surveillance by “killer supporters” of the Awami League. Despite the threats, he vowed not to retreat from what he called the “fight for justice.”

Following the fall of the Awami League government last October, Hadi took part in protests in front of Bangabhaban demanding the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin. He was also vocal in demanding a ban on Awami League activities and publicly supported the formation of a national government under Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. In February last year, he played an active role in the demolition of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence at Dhanmondi 32.

After the July uprising, Hadi joined the Jatiya Nagorik Committee but later chose not to join the newly formed NCP. Instead, he announced his intention to contest the Dhaka-8 seat as an independent candidate and remained active on the ground for months. His grassroots-style campaign—seeking votes outside mosques after Fajr prayers, distributing snacks, collecting donations from voters and publicly sharing expenditure details—was regularly documented on social media.