India arrests two Bangladeshis over murder of activist Sharif Osman Hadi
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Indian authorities have arrested two Bangladeshi nationals in West Bengal in connection with the killing of Bangladeshi political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, a case that had strained relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.
According to a press note issued by the Special Task Force headquarters in Kolkata on March 8, officers acting on secret credible information conducted a raid in the border area of Bongaon in North 24 Parganas on the night of March 7 and 8.
Police intercepted two Bangladeshi nationals identified as Rahul alias Faisal Karim Masud, 37, from Patuakhali, and Alamgir Hossain, 34, from Dhaka.
Authorities said the two men had allegedly entered India illegally after committing serious crimes in Bangladesh, including extortion and murder.
During preliminary interrogation, investigators said the suspects confessed to involvement in the killing of Hadi. Police said the men told investigators they entered India through the Meghalaya border after the attack and moved through several locations before reaching West Bengal.
Hadi, a political activist who emerged from the 2024 July uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was shot in the head by masked gunmen while campaigning in Dhaka on December 12 last year. He was later airlifted to Singapore for treatment but died on December 18.
His death triggered several days of violent protests across Bangladesh. Demonstrators attacked institutions they accused of being close to India, while mobs burned the offices of the newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. A Hindu worker was also lynched during the unrest.
The killing had intensified tensions between the two countries, with Bangladesh’s interim government summoning the Indian high commissioner and demanding cooperation to ensure suspects did not escape into India.
The arrests come weeks after Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman assumed office as prime minister following last month’s elections, with both countries seeking to stabilise relations after the diplomatic strain caused by the case.