A few months prior to his demise, Sharif Osman Hadi informed the investigating officer in a case involving crimes against humanity that he had been receiving repeated death threats. He cautioned that without prompt justice, the possibility of future mass killings by individuals associated with Awami League would be unimaginable.
Hadi provided this statement on October 6 of the previous year while acting as a witness for the prosecution in a case against Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and six other members of the party. The International Crimes Tribunal-2 officially accepted his statement as formal testimony following a request from the prosecution.
As a spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho, Hadi outlined the alleged involvement of high-ranking Awami League officials in the killing of unarmed demonstrators during the July protests. He also mentioned receiving death threats from various phone numbers and filing reports with Shahbagh Police Station.
In his statement, Hadi emphasized the importance of swiftly bringing the perpetrators to justice to prevent potential future atrocities by individuals affiliated with Awami League. He stated that failing to hold them accountable could raise doubts about the legitimacy of the July protests.
Hadi, who was a potential candidate for the general election from Dhaka-8, was shot on December 12 of the same year while traveling by rickshaw in Paltan. He succumbed to his injuries on December 18 in Singapore during treatment.
Apart from Quader, the other individuals accused in the case are AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister Mohammad Ali Arafat, Jubo League President Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash, General Secretary Moinul Hossain Khan Nikhil, and Chhatra League President and General Secretary Saddam Hussain and Sheikh Wali Asif Inan.
Hadi alleged in his statement that law enforcement officials and armed Awami League activists, following instructions from the deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, opened fire on protesters in Feni, Lakshmipur, and Cumilla. He also claimed that Quader publicly stated that the Chhatra League was sufficient to suppress the protests, thereby endorsing and legitimizing violence by the party’s armed supporters.
Furthermore, Hadi testified that on August 3, Quader instructed resistance from the metropolitan to ward levels, leading to armed attacks on unarmed civilians. He alleged that this directive was carried out by Bahauddin Nasim.
Hadi also claimed that Inan communicated with Hasina via phone on July 17, 2024, to coordinate and execute deadly attacks on protesters. According to him, a recorded phone conversation broadcast by Al Jazeera revealed discussions about targeting demonstrators. Inan was accused of distributing weapons among BCL activists, resulting in multiple fatalities.
Hadi stated that BCL and Jubo League members, armed with firearms, machetes, rods, and hockey sticks, obstructed student protesters at key intersections in Dhaka on July 14 under the leadership of Parash, Nikhil, Saddam, and Inan.
By the end of July, Hadi mentioned that the protests had evolved into a widespread uprising, attracting workers, rickshaw-pullers, garment workers, and families of victims of enforced disappearances, custodial deaths, and political oppression.
