India Arrests Another Suspect in Killing of Bangladesh Uprising Leader

Police in India have arrested another suspect accused of helping two Bangladeshi nationals who are wanted in connection with the killing of student activist Sharif Osman Hadi.

Hadi, a well-known critic of India and a participant in 2024 Bangladesh mass uprising, was shot by unidentified gunmen in Dhaka on December 12. He was later taken to a hospital in Singapore, where he died from his injuries.

Authorities in West Bengal identified Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Hossain as the main suspects in the murder. Police said the two allegedly fled Bangladesh through the Haluaghat border shortly after the attack. Indian authorities arrested them on March 8, and both remain in custody.

On Sunday, Superintendent Indrajit Sarkar of the West Bengal Special Task Force said another man, Philip Sangma, had been detained for allegedly helping the suspects cross into India through the region’s porous border.

Sarkar told AFP that Sangma was “held on Saturday for facilitating the illegal entry of the two prime suspects in the murder of Bangladeshi youth activist (Sharif Osman) Hadi.” He was presented before a district court the same day and remanded to police custody for one week.

Hadi’s killing triggered widespread unrest in Bangladesh, where angry protesters set fire to several buildings, including two major newspapers believed to be sympathetic to India, as well as a prominent cultural institution.

The incident has further complicated relations between India and Bangladesh, which had already been strained after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country following the pro-democracy uprising and later sought refuge in India.

India’s foreign ministry has rejected allegations linking New Delhi to the assassination, stating that it dismisses “false narratives” surrounding the case.

However, there have been signs of a possible improvement in relations. Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Bangladesh Nationalist Party after it won the first parliamentary elections held since Hasina’s departure.