Bangladesh seeks UN support for fair and transparent investigation into Hadi’s killing

Dhaka, Feb 8 (PTI) Bangladesh’s interim government of Muhammad Yunus has sought the cooperation of the UN human rights office for a fair and transparent investigation into the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a media report said on Sunday.

Hadi, 32, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho, who rose to national prominence during the July-August 2024 mass protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka.

The interim government has sought the cooperation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to ensure a proper investigation over Hadi’s killing, state-run BSS reported.

The Permanent Mission of Bangladesh in Geneva on Friday sent an official Note Verbale to the OHCHR, the Chief Adviser's Press Wing said on Saturday.

Bangladesh has formally requested technical and institutional assistance from the UN human rights office for the investigation into the killing, it added.

"The government of Bangladesh has reiterated that it is firmly committed to identifying those responsible for the killing of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi and bringing them to justice," said the press wing.

Hadi was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 12 elections. He was airlifted to Singapore for treatment but died on December 18.

In January, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) Detective Branch pressed formal charges against 17 people, including prime suspect Faisal Karim Masud, in connection with the murder and said Hadi was killed due to "political vengeance" at the behest of the Awami League.

However, Hadi's party rejected the police chargesheet and accused the state machinery of being involved in the killing.

At a press briefing in Dhaka, DMP Detective Branch's Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam had said the alleged shooter, Masud, was directly involved with the Awami League's student wing Chhatra League.

He said Hadi was murdered on the instructions of Awami League-nominated ward councillor Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi.

The interim government last year banned both the Awami League and its student wing.

Hadi's killing triggered fresh political unrest in Bangladesh and strained ties with India, after some groups alleged an Indian link to the crime.

New Delhi has strongly rejected the accusations, calling them a “false narrative”. PTI GSP GSP