Osman Hadi killing: Prime accused denies role, claims he is in Dubai amid 'India' claims

In a video message that has gone viral on social media, which India Blooms has not independently verified, Masud claimed that he was not responsible for Hadi’s murder and claimed he was currently in Dubai, not in India as alleged by Bangladeshi authorities.

Bangladesh police have earlier stated that Masud and another accused, Alamgir Sheikh, fled the country after the attack and entered India through the Meghalaya border.

Media reports in Bangladesh alleged that the two crossed over via the Haluaghat border in Mymensingh district and were believed to be hiding in India.

In his video message, Masud identified himself and said the murder case was “fabricated” and based on a conspiracy.

He claimed that he was forced to leave Bangladesh due to what he described as false accusations and travelled to Dubai using a valid five-year multiple-entry visa.

A purported image of his UAE visa has also surfaced online.

Masud further alleged that his family members were being harassed and falsely implicated despite having no connection to the case.

He described the treatment of his family as unjust and said he strongly objected to the alleged actions taken against them.

Addressing his relationship with Hadi, Masud admitted that he had visited the student leader’s office shortly before the shooting but maintained that their interactions were strictly professional.

He said he owns an IT company and had earlier worked at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance.

According to Masud, he approached Hadi regarding a job opportunity, during which he allegedly paid BDT 500,000 as an advance and made additional financial contributions for programmes linked to Hadi’s activities.

Masud also claimed that Hadi’s killing was carried out by a radical political group, accusing Jamaat-linked elements of being behind the attack.

He denied reports that he or his younger brother was involved in the shooting or present at the crime scene.

India has rejected allegations linking the attackers to its territory.

New Delhi has stated that claims suggesting Indian involvement are false narratives being spread by extremist elements in connection with the assassination.

Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent figure in Bangladesh’s student movement, was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka on December 12.

He later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Singapore on December 18.

Hadi rose to national prominence during last year’s student-led protests that culminated in the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.

Following his death, violent unrest broke out in parts of Dhaka, with mobs torching the offices of major newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, as well as cultural organisations Chhayanat and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi. 

In a separate incident, a Hindu factory worker was lynched by a mob in central Mymensingh, further escalating tensions across the country.