Yunus-led Bangladesh government seeks UN assistance to investigate Osman Hadi killing

Bangladesh seeks UN help to probe killing of uprising leader Osman Hadi

Bangladesh has formally sought assistance from the United Nations human rights office to investigate the killing of political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent figure of the 2024 student-led uprising that led to the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

According to the interim government’s press wing, Bangladesh’s mission in Geneva has sent a diplomatic note to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), requesting support for a “fair, impartial and expeditious” investigation.

“The note requests technical and institutional assistance from the UN human rights office to support the investigation,” it said.

Hadi, 32, was the spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho and emerged as a key leader during the July 2024 uprising. He was shot in the head by unidentified masked assailants on a motorcycle in Dhaka’s Paltan area on December 12 while leaving a mosque. He was airlifted to Singapore for specialised treatment but died on December 18 at Singapore General Hospital.

Following the repatriation of his body, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus declared a one-day state mourning on December 20, 2025. In an effort to ease tensions, authorities allowed Hadi to be buried near the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, close to the Dhaka University Central Mosque.

Hadi had planned to contest the Dhaka-8 constituency as an independent candidate in the February 12, 2026 parliamentary elections, which are expected to form Bangladesh’s first elected government since the fall of the Awami League administration.

A vocal critic of India, Hadi frequently accused New Delhi of “Indian hegemony” and alleged it was sheltering Sheikh Hasina after her removal from power. His killing triggered widespread unrest across Bangladesh, with supporters attacking media offices including The Daily Star, Prothom Alo and New Age, accusing them of pro-India bias. Cultural landmarks such as the Chhayanaut centre were vandalised, and an Awami League office in Rajshahi was demolished.

Fresh clashes erupted in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area on Friday when police confronted protesters demanding justice for Hadi. Local media reported that 40 to 50 people were injured as police used baton charges, tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse demonstrators.

The interim government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring “the highest standards of transparency and accountability” and vowed to identify and prosecute those responsible for the killing, which has further intensified political tensions in the country.