Bangladesh police have claimed that radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi was murdered as part of a “political vengeance” plot orchestrated at the behest of the Awami League, with a chargesheet naming 17 accused submitted 25 days after the incident.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Additional Police Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch, Shafiqul Islam, said Hadi was targeted because of his strong criticism of the Awami League government.
“Hadi was vocal against the fallen government. He was killed due to political vendetta,” Islam said, citing findings of the investigation, as reported by Bangladesh’s RTV News.
According to police, the prime accused Faisal Karim Masud, who allegedly fired the fatal shot, was closely associated with the Chhatra League, the student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. Another accused, Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi, reportedly helped Masud and co-accused Alamgir Sheikh escape following the killing. Bappi earlier served as Pallabi Thana Chhatra League president and was a ward councillor nominated by the Awami League.
So far, 12 suspects have been arrested, while authorities continue to track the remaining accused. Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated that the final chargesheet in the murder case will be submitted on January 7.
The Assassination
Hadi, spokesperson of the Inqilab Moncho and a prominent face of the July–August 2024 mass protests that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign event in Dhaka.
He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, later shifted to Evercare Hospital, and subsequently flown to Singapore when his condition worsened — but could not survive.
Hadi, 32, was set to contest in the February 12 parliamentary elections, and his killing has intensified political tensions in Bangladesh.
Police maintain the murder was politically motivated, reflecting deep-seated rivalry and resentment among ruling-party-linked student groups toward Hadi’s outspoken activism.