DHAKA (Kashmir English): Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student movement leader of last year’s July Uprising in Bangladesh, succumbed to his injuries, days after being shot in broad daylight in Dhaka.
His funeral prayer will be offered in Dhaka today (Saturday). According to Kashmir Media Service, Hadi, a leading figure of the student movement opposing the Sheikh Hasina Wajid government and spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha, was shot on December 12 while travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw in Dhaka’s Paltan area.
He had been battling for life at a hospital in Singapore since the attack and passed away on Thursday, December 18.
Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies have identified Faisal Karim Masud, alias Daud Khan, a former leader of the now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), as the prime suspect in the killing.
Authorities say the suspect has fled to India. Analysts say the timing and choice of target point to a dual-signaling strategy by the India-backed attacker.
Bangladesh’s general elections
The attack took place on the very day the date for Bangladesh’s general elections was announced, signaling an intent to intimidate the caretaker government and undermine prospects for genuinely independent elections.
Observers argue it also served as a warning to young revolutionaries that a transformative political participation would come at a heavy cost.
They added that the suspected killer’s escape to India reinforces concerns of New Delhi’s attempts to block elections and deter youth-led democratic change in Bangladesh.
Experts view the killing as another attempt by India to obstruct the emergence of independent, people-centric politics in Bangladesh, noting that the rise of democracy in Bangladesh would weaken India’s long-standing influence in the country and its dominance in the region.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus expressed deep sorrow over Hadi’s death, paying tribute to his struggle for people-centric politics. “May the Almighty Allah accept this immortal soldier of the struggle against fascism and hegemony as a martyr,” Yunus said, adding that the nation stands united in prayer and remembrance.
