The brother of murdered Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi has issued a strong warning to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, accusing those in power of orchestrating the killing to sabotage the country’s upcoming national election.
Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student activist and convener of the Inqilab Moncho, was shot earlier this month while exiting a mosque in Dhaka. He later succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a hospital in Singapore. His death has sent shockwaves across Bangladesh and triggered widespread political unrest.
Addressing a “Shahidi Shopoth” programme organised by Inqilab Moncho at Shahbagh in Dhaka, Hadi’s brother Omar Hadi alleged that a section within the interim government was directly involved in the killing. According to Bangladeshi media reports, Omar Hadi claimed the murder was carried out to create instability and derail the February 12 general election, in which the 32-year-old leader was set to contest.
Issuing a stern warning, Omar Hadi drew parallels with the fate of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled Bangladesh after the 2024 student-led uprising. “If justice for Osman Hadi is not delivered quickly, you too will be compelled to flee this country one day,” he said, accusing the government of failing to show any visible progress in the investigation.
Osman Hadi was one of the key faces of the 2024 mass movement that led to Hasina’s resignation and eventual exile to India. His brother further alleged that Hadi was targeted because he refused to submit to any agency or “foreign masters”.
Following Hadi’s death, massive protests erupted across Bangladesh. Demonstrations soon turned violent, with reports of vandalism and attacks on media offices. Amid the chaos, a Hindu worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched by a mob and set on fire along the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway, further deepening national outrage.
As tensions continue to rise, pressure is mounting on the interim government to ensure swift justice and restore stability ahead of the crucial election.
