Dhaka (Bangladesh): Two key suspects in the murder of Bangladeshi youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi have fled the country and are believed to be hiding in India, a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer said on Sunday.
Hadi, 32, a leader of the Inquilab Moncho and a parliamentary candidate for the February 12 elections, was shot in the head on December 12 while campaigning in Dhaka. He was later airlifted to Singapore for specialised medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries on December 18.
Addressing a press conference at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Media Centre, Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) S N Md Nazrul Islam identified the two suspects as Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh. He said preliminary investigations indicate that the duo crossed into India through the Haluaghat border with assistance from local collaborators.
According to police inputs, the suspects entered the Indian state of Meghalaya after crossing the border and were initially received by an individual identified as Purti. They were later transported to Tura town by a taxi driver named Sami, Islam said, as quoted by Bangladesh daily The Daily Star.
The police officer did not specify the exact date when the suspects fled Bangladesh. As of Sunday evening, there was no official response from Indian authorities regarding the matter.
Sharif Osman Hadi had emerged as a prominent youth leader during the July–August 2024 mass street protests that ultimately led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. His killing has triggered widespread outrage in Bangladesh, with investigators continuing efforts to trace and apprehend all those involved in the attack.
