Days after a brazen gun attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, a radical political figure known for his anti-India and anti–Sheikh Hasina stance, Bangladesh’s interim Yunus administration has formally sought India’s assistance in arresting and handing over the alleged shooters. This request has been made even as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) clarified that there is, so far, no verified evidence to confirm that the attackers fled into Indian territory. At the same time, New Delhi has urged Dhaka to prioritise internal security, warning that violence appears to be increasing as Bangladesh moves closer to a critical election period.
The incident itself occurred just a day after Bangladesh announced the schedule for its upcoming elections. On Friday, the capital city of Dhaka was jolted by a daylight shooting that underscored the country’s fragile law-and-order situation. According to authorities, three attackers riding three separate motorcycles opened fire on Sharif Osman Hadi, the spokesperson of the Anti-Sheikh Hasina Inqilab Manch and an independent candidate contesting from the Dhaka-8 constituency. Hadi sustained a gunshot wound to the head and slipped into a coma. On Monday afternoon, he was airlifted to Singapore via an air ambulance for advanced medical treatment.
Despite the lack of confirmed evidence regarding the attackers’ escape route, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus moved quickly to involve India. On Sunday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police publicly stated that there was no concrete proof indicating that the assailants had crossed the border into India. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman said multiple teams, including the Detective Branch, were actively pursuing various leads but had no confirmed information suggesting that any suspect had left Bangladesh.
The police statement followed claims circulating on social media. A Qatar-based journalist alleged on Facebook that two of the suspected attackers had crossed into India on December 12 and were currently in Guwahati, Assam. The post named one alleged shooter as Faisal Karim Masud, also known as Daud Khan, described as a former leader of the Chhatra League, the student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. According to the post, Masud and his accomplice allegedly crossed the Haluaghat border in the Mymensingh region and entered India, later sending selfies purportedly taken in Guwahati. The journalist cited unnamed intelligence sources and shared details of an Indian phone number allegedly used by Masud. However, these claims have not been independently verified by law enforcement agencies.
The Chhatra League, which the Yunus administration has since banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act, has itself been at the centre of political controversy. The broader security situation in Bangladesh remains volatile, with recurring incidents of political violence, bomb attacks, and assaults on prominent institutions, including Yunus’ own Grameen Bank. The instability has been compounded by the fact that key political figures, such as BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, remain in exile, citing security concerns, even as the country prepares for elections.
Amid this backdrop, Bangladesh’s foreign ministry summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma on Sunday. During the meeting, Dhaka requested India’s cooperation in arresting and extraditing the attackers if they were found to have entered Indian territory. The interim government also raised concerns over statements made by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India, accusing her of making provocative remarks that could incite unrest ahead of the polls.
India, however, rejected these allegations. New Delhi reiterated that it has never allowed its soil to be used for activities hostile to Bangladesh and stressed that maintaining law and order was primarily the responsibility of Dhaka’s interim government. The Indian foreign ministry said it expected Bangladesh to take all necessary steps to ensure internal security and to conduct peaceful and credible elections.
The shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi has intensified anxiety in Bangladesh’s already tense pre-election environment. Political analysts and commentators have warned that such attacks, especially those carried out in broad daylight against visible political figures, send a chilling message beyond the immediate target. They reflect deeper concerns about fear, control, and the state’s ability to guarantee safety during a sensitive democratic transition.
Hadi himself is a polarising figure. As the spokesperson of the Inquilab Manch, he has built a following through sharp anti-India rhetoric and strong opposition to Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League. He has also been openly critical of other major parties, including the BNP, and has called for the Awami League to be constitutionally barred from politics. Some reports suggest he recently circulated a controversial map depicting a “Greater Bangladesh” that included parts of Indian territory.
Now fighting for his life in Singapore, Hadi has become a symbol of the broader instability gripping Bangladesh. The attack on him has raised serious questions about the capacity of the interim administration to control violence, protect political actors, and deliver on its promise of a peaceful and fair election scheduled for early 2026.
