‘You had Osman Hadi killed to derail polls’: Brother levels explosive charge against Yunus-led interim government

Bangladesh student leader’s brother accuses Yunus-led interim government of plotting killing to derail February polls

Days after Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head, his brother has accused elements within the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of being behind the killing, alleging it was meant to disrupt the country’s national election scheduled for February.

Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho—a cultural group that emerged from the July 2024 uprising that led to the removal of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina—was shot at close range in Dhaka on December 12. He was later flown to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he died on December 18.

His killing sparked widespread unrest in Bangladesh, with violent protests erupting in parts of Dhaka. Several newspaper offices and cultural institutions were vandalised amid escalating tensions.

Addressing a protest gathering at Shahbagh, Osman Hadi’s brother, Sharif Omar Hadi, directly accused the interim administration of engineering the assassination. “You had Osman Hadi killed, and now you are trying to foil the election by using this as an issue,” he said, making a serious allegation against the Yunus-led government.

Omar said his brother had been vocal about ensuring that the national election takes place by February and urged authorities to conduct a swift trial while maintaining a stable political environment. He warned against allowing the killing to be used as a pretext to delay the polls.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh interim government’s finance adviser, Salehuddin Ahmed, sought to project stability on the diplomatic front, expressing confidence in improving ties with India. He said Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has initiated steps to repair strained relations with New Delhi.

According to Ahmed, the interim administration is focused on strengthening economic engagement with India and keeping trade and financial cooperation separate from “political rhetoric,” news agency PTI reported.

The investigation into Osman Hadi’s killing is ongoing, as political tensions continue to mount ahead of the proposed election timeline.