Dhaka-8 aspiring candidate Osman Hadi shot in head, taken to Evercare Hospital; doctors say condition 'very critical'
The bullet entered above Hadi’s left ear and exited through the right side of his head, causing massive brain injury. He is on artificial ventilation.
Highlights
- Dhaka-8 aspirant Osman Hadi shot in head by motorcycle-borne attackers in Paltan
- He was rushed to DMCH, where brain surgery was completed
- Hadi shifted to Evercare Hospital for advanced care; condition very critical
- Police sealed off the DR Tower area as PBI, CID and DB teams collected evidence
- The shooting comes just a day after the national election schedule was announced
Sharif Osman Hadi, the spokesperson for Inqilab Mancha, was shot in the head by unknown assailants on motorcycles in the capital's Paltan area today (12 December), according to police and witnesses.
The incident took place a day after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the 13th national parliamentary election.
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Hadi, an aspiring independent candidate for Dhaka-8 constituency in the upcoming polls, was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) emergency department following the attack and was taken to the operation theatre at around 3:50pm, DMCH Police Outpost In-charge Inspector Md Faruk confirmed to The Business Standard.
Later, around 7:30pm, after his surgery, he was taken to Evercare Hospital for advanced treatment, DMCH Director Brigadier General Md Asaduzzaman told reporters.
Dr Zahid Raihan, head of the Neurosurgery Department at DMCH, told reporters in the evening that Hadi's condition is "extremely critical".
"The bullet entered above his left ear and exited through the right side of his head, causing massive brain injury. His skull has been left open, and he is on artificial ventilation," he said.
Dr Raihan added, "The bullet's path affected the brain stem and although Hadi is not entirely unresponsive, the situation is extremely critical."
He further explained that the portion of the skull where the bullet exited was removed to relieve brain pressure, and accumulated blood and fluid inside the skull were drained. Due to continuous pressure changes and internal bleeding, Hadi's condition fluctuates. ENT surgeons managed heavy bleeding from his nose and throat, and he remains on artificial respiration, though he still has some spontaneous breathing.
Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said Hadi had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of just 3 when brought to DMCH and experienced cardiac arrest once. He added that the next 72 hours will be critical, and no definitive prognosis can be given at this stage.
Doctors noted that heavy bleeding from Hadi's nose and throat occurred later in the evening and was managed.
Doctors reiterated that Hadi's skull was opened on the left side due to severe brain damage and measures were taken to reduce intracranial pressure. They called for public prayers to support his recovery, emphasising that life-saving efforts continue amid extremely critical circumstances.
Earlier, speaking to The Business Standard after the surgery, Dr Sumon Rana, assistant professor at the Department of Neurosurgery at DMCH, said that the neurosurgical portion of Hadi's operation has been completed.
"The brain surgery is done. Now the ENT team and then the orthopedics department are working," he said.
He explained that after the brain operation, ENT surgeons were placing nasal packs, while orthopaedic surgeons were treating friction burns on Hadi's leg with plaster and dressing.
Dr Rana added that Hadi was being shifted to Evercare's ICU for post-operative support.
Describing the trajectory and severity of the injury, he said the bullet entered through the region near the ear, breaking dense cranial bones and causing additional secondary fragments to injure the brain before exiting through the opposite side of the head.
Hadi is currently on life support, Dr Rana also said.
Meanwhile, the crime scene has been cordoned off in front of DR Tower on Box Culvert Road. Members of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Detective Branch (DB), and other agencies were collecting evidence and CCTV footage.
The attack took place sometime after the Jumma prayers this afternoon, said witness Rahim Patoyari.
Rahim, the publicity secretary of Shramik Odhikar Parishad's Dhaka Metropolitan South unit, started livestreaming on Facebook at 2:23pm, showing an unconscious Hadi, in a bloodied state being carried by two men on a rickshaw, being taken to the hospital.
Rahim was heard saying Hadi was in a critical condition.
"We have learned that he [Hadi] was shot near the Bijoynagar Panir Tanki area. He has been shot in the head. We are trying to learn more details," Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Division told The Business Standard.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the DMP Media and Public Relations Division, Muhammad Talebur Rahman, told The Business Standard, "Osman Hadi was shot at 2:25pm in front of DR Tower on Box Culvert Road. We have initially learned that three assailants on a motorcycle shot him and fled the scene." He added, "Osman Hadi has been taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. We are investigating the matter."
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Moniruzzaman also said that they have heard about the incident, but he could not say where it happened at the time.
He, however, added that they have sent police personnel to DMCH.
Further details regarding the severity of his injury and the circumstances of the shooting were immediately unavailable.
Inqilab Mancha, a platform inspired by the July-August mass uprising, was formed in August 2024 after the ouster of the Awami League government.
Hadi was set to contest the upcoming election from Dhaka-8, which comprises Motijheel, Shahbagh, Ramna, Paltan and Shahjahanpur.
