Bangladesh seeks UN’s help in probe of Hadi killing

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has sought the cooperation of the United Nations human rights office to ensure a fair and transparent investigation into the killing of student leader and political activist Sharif Osman Hadi. The request reflects growing domestic and international scrutiny over the case, which has had significant political repercussions. Hadi, 32, was a spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho and rose to national prominence during the July–August 2024 mass protests that led to the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government. He was shot in the head on December 12 while campaigning in Dhaka ahead of the February 12 parliamentary elections, in which he was also a candidate. After being airlifted to Singapore for treatment, he died on December 18. According to state-run media, Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission in Geneva formally requested technical and institutional assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) through an official Note Verbale sent on Friday. The government reiterated its commitment to identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice. In January, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch filed charges against 17 individuals, naming Faisal Karim Masud as the prime suspect and describing the killing as an act of political vengeance allegedly orchestrated by figures linked to the Awami League and its student wing, Chhatra League. Police claimed Masud acted on the instructions of an Awami League–nominated ward councillor. However, Hadi’s party rejected the police findings, accusing state institutions of involvement in the killing. The case has fueled renewed political unrest and strained Bangladesh’s relations with India, after some groups alleged Indian involvement. New Delhi has firmly denied the claims, dismissing them as false. @@@@