Dhaka University renamed the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall to Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi Hall, days after Hadi, convenor of Inqilab Moncho, a prominent student activist and a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 2026 national elections, died on December 18, 2025, in Singapore while receiving treatment for gunshot wounds sustained during an attack in Dhaka, BD News reported.
On Friday, students and hall union leaders at Dhaka University replaced the original nameplate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall with the new name, Shahid Osman Hadi Hall. They hung banners at the hall gate, as per BD News.
On Saturday, authorities removed the old signage, using a crane to remove Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s name from the building and to paint over his graffiti on the walls.
Two of his graffiti pieces were also painted over during the stint late on Saturday night, witnesses said. The decision has sparked protests and discussions among Dhaka University students, with some expressing their views in Facebook groups.
Bangabandhu, a revered title meaning “Friend of Bengal” or “Friend of the Bengalis,” was famously bestowed upon Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first President of Bangladesh, for his pivotal role in leading the nation to independence and championing Bengali rights.
Around 2 am on Thursday, after news of Hadi’s death spread, the vice-president and general secretary of the hall unit put up the poster renaming the hall, according to witnesses.
With the final prayers for the funeral service for the slain Inqilab Moncho convenor, Sharif Osman Hadi, concluded on Bangladesh’s Dhaka University campus on Saturday, the organisation rallied towards the Shahbagh area, issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to the country’s Home Ministry, demanding a report on the progress of arrests of the killers of Osman Hadi.
From early morning, mourners arrived in groups at Manik Mia Avenue to pay their final tributes to Hadi, some draped in the national flag. In contrast, others chanted slogans demanding justice for Hadi’s killing.
Following the funeral, the Moncho demanded that Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser, Retired Lt Gen. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, and the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant in the Home Ministry, Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, provide a report on the progress of arrests of the killers of Hadi and warned that failure to respond would result in their resignation.
According to Prothom Alo, Abdullah Al Jaber, the Member Secretary of Inqilab Moncho, issued an ultimatum to government officials.
In his speech, Al Jaber presented two demands. He called on the Home Affairs Adviser and Assistant Adviser to report publicly on the progress made on Hadi’s killings in the past week and warned that if no response is received within 24 hours, they must resign. He also urged the authorities to identify and arrest Awami terrorists allegedly hiding within civil and military intelligence agencies, as reported by Prothom Alo.
