Bangladesh has stepped up its investigation into the killing of radical anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi, as authorities identified the main suspect, imposed travel restrictions, and launched a nationwide manhunt amid continuing protests across the country.
A court in Dhaka on Sunday, 21st December, restricted Faisal Karim Masud from going abroad after he was identified as the main suspect in the shooting incident that resulted in the death of Hadi. The police have also put out an arrest notice against Masud and other suspected attackers.
Security officials said Masud is believed to still be inside Bangladesh but is constantly changing locations to avoid arrest. Multiple teams have been deployed, and surveillance has been intensified in several districts to track his movements.
Bangladesh claims killers fled to India
While law enforcement agencies have officially maintained that they do not have confirmed information about the suspects leaving the country, investigation sources have claimed that the attackers have fled to India shortly after the shooting.
According to one source, Faisal Karim Masud and another suspect, Md Alamgir Sheikh, escaped through a remote border route in Haluaghat, Mymensingh, and crossed into India’s Meghalaya state with the help of a human trafficking network. Faisal allegedly fired the shots at close range while Alamgir was riding the motorcycle.
Investigators claim the two men changed vehicles multiple times after the attack, travelling through several parts of Dhaka before heading towards Mymensingh and eventually crossing the border in the early hours of the next day.
However, addressing an emergency press conference, Additional Inspector General of Police Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said authorities had no confirmed evidence that Faisal had left Bangladesh. “We have not received any reliable information indicating that he has crossed the border,” he said, cautioning that suspects often spread misinformation.
Police and border forces have also arrested four others who are accused of being involved in the escape of the suspects, although the key suspect is still on the loose. However, Hadi’s death has led to protests being witnessed across different cities, organised by student groups.
Who was Sharif Osman Bin Hadi?
Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, an anti-India and jihadi activist, died last week after succumbing to gunshot injuries sustained in Dhaka. His death was confirmed by Singapore authorities and leaders of Inqilab Mancha, the platform he represented, on Thursday (18th December).
Hadi was shot on 12th December when two men on a motorcycle pulled up beside the battery-powered auto-rickshaw he was travelling in and opened fire, hitting him in the head. He was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors found severe brain stem damage. Due to his critical condition, he was flown to Singapore on 15th December and admitted to the neurosurgical ICU at Singapore General Hospital, where he later died despite extensive treatment.
A prominent figure in Bangladesh’s 2024 protest against the government led by Hasina, serving as the spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, a party in which he was set to contest in the Dhaka-8 constituency in the following general election, slated to occur in February 2026.
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