India, Feb. 9 -- Two years ago, a group of student leaders in Bangladesh led what came to be known as the July Revolution. The movement sparked massive protests across the country and forced then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the country's longest-serving leader, to resign and flee to India. Now, several figures linked to that movement are preparing to enter electoral politics and are expected to contest the general elections scheduled for February 12.

Among the most prominent faces of the uprising was Sharif Osman Hadi. He served as the spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho and was widely seen as one of the key student leaders during the protests. However, in December, while launching his campaign as an independent candidate, Hadi was shot in ...