Osman Hadi shooter got bail twice with help of Jamaat leader? New claims emerge amid chaos in Bangladesh

Days after radical activist Sharif Osman Hadi's death, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has claimed that his killer had been granted bail twice by senior Jamaat leader and prominent lawyer Shishir Manir, including once just months before Hadi was shot. Hadi, who was associated with the Inqilab Manch and linked to the July 2024 uprising, was a vocal critic of India and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. His death has ignited tensions between India and Bangladesh. It has also fanned anti-Hindu and anti-India protest in Bangladesh.

Osman Hadi's killer has links to Jamaat-e-Islami?

Speaking during a televised panel discussion on Ekushey Television, BNP executive committee member Nilofer Chowdhury Moni said, “The man who fired at Hadi — we need to look at his background. Who bailed him out twice? Shishir Manir did. I am saying this responsibly,” she said. She also questioned how the accused repeatedly secured bail.

Chaos in Bangladesh

Radical activist Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in Dhaka by unidentified men. He was airlifted to Singapore for treatment, however he succumbed to injuries. His death was announced by Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Dec 18. Soon after, violence erupted in several cities of Bangladesh. Hadi, the founder of Inqilab Mancha, a radical student group of Dhaka University, was known for his anti-India views. Sporadic violence expanded into nationwide unrest with protesters taking to streets and vandalising cultural centres. On Dec 19, a Hindu man Dipu Chandra Das was lynched by an angry pro-Hadi mob in Mymensingh. By Dec 20, protests escalated into anti-India demonstration with residence of Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Chattogram being pelted with stones. The killing of Dipu Chandra paved way for counter protest against the Hadi's radical outfit. On Dec 22, another leader of National Citizen Party (NCP) was shot by miscreants in Khulna. He was identified Motaleb Shikder, Khulna divisional chief of NCP and central organiser of NCP Sramik Shakti. However, he is out of danger.

After Hadi was shot, Dhaka summoned the Indian High Commissioner to demand cooperation in the assassination investigation and to protest former PM Sheikh Hasina's activities. After Hadi's death, protests were held outside Indian missions in Bangladesh. New Delhi summoned Bangladesh's envoy to register a strong demarche over security threats to Indian missions. It also expressed concern over the lynching of Dip[u Chandra Das. Counter protest was held in New Delhi outside Bangladeshi mission. Bangladesh summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma.

Soon after, India suspended visa services indefinitely at its application centers in Chittagong, Rajshahi, and Khulna citing security concerns. Dhaka suspended visa services at its High Commission in New Delhi and its missions in Tripura and Siliguri, citing "unavoidable circumstances" related to security. Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser M Touhid Hossain warned that Dhaka would consider "scaling back its presence" in India if the diplomatic situation continues to deteriorate.