'Won't Bow Before Anyone': Bangladesh's Yunus Vows To Follow Anti-India Leader's Ideals

Last Updated:December 21, 2025, 10:18 IST

Sharif Osman Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Mancha platform and a prominent critic of India, was killed by unidentified assailants last week, triggering nationwide protests.

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at Sharif Osman Hadi's funeral in Dhaka. (Reuters)

Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Saturday gave an emotionally charged speech at the funeral of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent anti-India voice who was shot dead by masked assailants last week, saying the entire nation will remember him and work to fulfil his ambitions.

Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Mancha platform, rose to prominence during last year’s political uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule. He was shot in Dhaka on December 12, later flown to Singapore, and died there on Thursday. His death triggered widespread protests across Bangladesh.

As thousands gathered to pay their final respects to Hadi at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Yunus addressed the crowd before the funeral prayer, saying, “O dear Osman Hadi, we have not come here to bid you farewell. You are within our hearts, and as long as Bangladesh exists, you will remain in the hearts of all Bangladeshis."

“Millions of people have gathered here today, coming in waves while crores of people across Bangladesh and Bangladeshis living abroad are waiting for this moment to listen about Hadi," he was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

ALSO READ: ‘Hadi’s Blood Won’t Go In Vain’: Chants Mark Funeral Of July Uprising Leader In Bangladesh

‘We Will Fulfill Your Promise’

The interim government chief said the gathering was not a farewell, but a pledge. “We have come to make a promise to you-that what you told us, we will fulfill," he said.

“Not only us, but generation after generation of people of Bangladesh will fulfil this promise," Yunus added. “Your love for humanity, your way of living and interacting with people, and your political outlook are being praised by everyone. We are accepting them. You have given us such a mantra that this nation will never forget. It will echo in our ears forever."

Yunus said Hadi had demonstrated how an election campaign, how to express views without creating a nuisance and how to engage people with dignity. “With this mantra, we will prove ourselves in all our work. We will walk before the world with our heads held high. We will not bow before anyone," he added.

“You will not be lost. No one will ever forget you. You will remain with us for ages, reminding us again and again of your mantra," he further said. “Today, on behalf of all of us, we make a promise to you that we will move forward imbued with your mantra."

Sharif Osman Hadi’s Funeral

This came as hundreds of thousands of mourners paid their last respects to Sharif Osman Hadi at the Sangsad Bhaban. Many wrapped themselves in the national flag, while others voiced demands for justice over Hadi’s death amid tight security at his funeral.

The gathering echoed with political slogans such as “Delhi or Dhaka – Dhaka, Dhaka" and “brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain." Police say suspects have been identified and may have fled to India, where Hasina is living in exile, fueling fresh diplomatic tensions.

Soon after Hadi’s death, violent protests broke out in several parts of Bangladesh. Media houses, cultural centres and political offices were attacked. A Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched and burnt to death in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy.

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