Who Was Osman Hadi?

As an academic and an entrepreneur, should I speak about politics? Should I raise issues that matter? I believe the answer is yes. Politics shapes our societies. When political systems are poorly managed, everything suffers, including education and jobs. Good governance provides quality education, reduces unemployment, and helps a country move forward.

Democracy was created so leaders would come from regular citizens. But today, leaders in democracies sometimes wield power in ways that revive undemocratic habits, akin to those of old monarchies and autocracies. Political parties may try to stay in power by passing leadership to family members, limiting voting rights, or using authority undemocratically. This happened in Bangladesh over the past seventeen years under the fascist Awami League government, with opposition voices silenced, disputed elections, false cases, kidnappings, and killings. Money was taken out of the country through corruption, the banking system was weakened, and government departments stopped functioning well.

Then things changed, the July Revolution in Bangladesh in 2024. Young people stepped up, organized protests, and called for change. Thousands sacrificed their lives for change. With new hope, people began to imagine a 'Bangladesh 2.0': a country without corruption, where all parties could compete fairly, leaders changed every five years through free elections, and everyone could speak their mind without fear.

One of the movement's symbolic leaders was Osman Hadi. While some leaders later got involved in power struggles or corruption, Osman Hadi stayed true to the ideals people demanded in the streets: a country without corruption, freedom from outside control, and leaders who are held accountable. He became an inspiring young person within one year of being active.

Hadi knew the risks he was taking. In many speeches, he talked openly about the chance he could die and what he hoped people would remember about him.

He was attacked on 12 December 2025 in the Paltan area of Dhaka and died on 18 December. The fascist Awami League activist killed him. 

But after his death, Osman Hadi became an even stronger symbol. He dreamed of standing in parliament to speak up for people’s rights. If he had lived, he might have entered formal politics and become a lawmaker after a decade. After he died, his coffin was carried to the parliamentary area, which symbolically fulfilled his dream. More than one million people attended his funeral prayer, making it one of the biggest gatherings in the country’s political history. Both social and traditional media spread his story, and he became a symbol of political change led by young people.

For many, Osman Hadi stands for the hope of a country based on rights, accountability, and justice. We see him as a true patriot and an ideal leader whose life, especially his death, brought new hope. Even though he is gone, his ideas live on. For many, he is a symbol of courage, honesty, and deep love for the country. He Was One. We Are Many. Osman Hadi’s death did not end a movement. It began one that cannot be killed.

Because ideas do not die. Hope does not die. Youth does not die.

Osman Hadi lives wherever injustice is challenged. Osman Hadi lives wherever truth is spoken. Osman Hadi lives wherever youth rise.

We are Osman Hadi!

Written by: Forhad Hossain Bipu