PUBLISHED ONDecember 20, 2025 10:00 AMBYSean LerHundreds of Bangladeshis in Singapore gathered near Robert Lane in Serangoon on Friday (Dec 19) were dispersed by police with no injures or law and order issues reported, said the police.
They were said to have made their way there for 'prayers' for wounded youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi who died in Singapore on Thursday (Dec 18).
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In several videos posted to social media by Bangladeshis working in Singapore, a large crowd of at least a hundred people are seen gathering around Robert Lane, in vicinity of Angullia Mosque.
At least two police cars are seen along the road. Nearby, uniformed and plain clothes police officers wearing their police lanyards are seen observing the situation, while a man in white is seen explaining to those gathered that there would be not be a funeral prayer held at the mosque. He requested for them to disperse and leave the area.
Checks online by AsiaOne show at least three Bangladeshi news sites claiming that funeral prayers will be held at the mosque, citing a post on Inqilab Moncho's - a socio-cultural platform - account.
Inqilab Moncho was founded by the late youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
Both the Bangladeshi High Commission in Singapore and the mosque later issued separate statements on social media to clarify that no such arrangements were made.
Writing on its Facebook page, the High Commission said that the funeral prayer was not being held in Singapore, citing "a lack of clearance".
The mosque, in an earlier statement, also informed its congregants that messages regarding the funeral prayer arrangement are "inaccurate".
In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to a large crowd gathering along Roberts Lane at about 10am on Friday.
"They were apparently waiting for the arrival of the body of Bangladeshi Sharif Osman Hadi, who passed away the night before," said the police, adding that they dispatched officers to the scene for the safety of those who were waiting on the road.
According to the police, the congregants were dispersed by 11am with no reported injuries or law and order issues.
The remains of Hadi have since returned to Bangladesh.
Hadi, a spokesperson for the Inqilab Moncho platform and a candidate in general elections, was shot in the head by masked assailants on Dec 12 while launching his election campaign in Dhaka.
He was initially treated at a local hospital before being flown to Singapore for advanced medical care, where he died after spending six days on life support.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Thursday (Dec 18) that Hadi was evacuated by air to the Singapore General Hospital's (SGH) Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit on Dec 15.
"Despite the best efforts of the doctors from SGH and the National Neuroscience Institute, Hadi succumbed to his injuries on Dec 18," said MFA, adding that they are assisting the Bangladesh High Commission in Singapore with the arrangements to repatriate the remains of Hadi back to Bangladesh.
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