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Bangladesh Says Suspects in Student Leader’s Killing Fled to India, Deepening Diplomatic Strain

By The South Asia Times

Dhaka — Bangladeshi police on Sunday said the alleged killers of prominent student leader Sharif Osman Hadi have fled to India, a development that is likely to further strain already tense relations between Dhaka and New Delhi amid growing political unrest at home.

Hadi, a popular youth figure and outspoken critic of India, was shot by masked gunmen in Dhaka on December 12 and later died from his injuries at a hospital in Singapore.

His killing triggered widespread protests across Bangladesh, with demonstrators torching buildings, including two major newspapers accused of being pro-India and a leading cultural institution.

Addressing a press conference, senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer S.N. Nazrul Islam said the murder was “premeditated” and that those responsible had been identified.

He named Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh as the main suspects, saying they crossed into India through the Haluaghat border shortly after the attack.

According to police, the suspects were allegedly received by two Indian nationals who escorted them into India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya before handing them over to other accomplices.

Hadi’s supporters, however, believe Indian intelligence agencies were involved, citing his strong criticism of New Delhi and Bangladesh’s strained ties with India.

New Delhi has previously dismissed what it called “false narratives” linking India to Hadi’s killing.

Relations have further deteriorated since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India following last year’s mass uprising. Dhaka has formally requested her extradition after a Bangladeshi court sentenced her to death in absentia for her role in a violent crackdown, but India has yet to hand her over, citing legal and procedural grounds.