Two Bangladeshi nationals accused in the murder of prominent Bangladeshi political activist Sharif Osman Bin Hadi have been arrested in West Bengal’s Bongaon area, the state’s Special Task Force (STF) said on Sunday.
Hadi was shot dead in Dhaka on December 12 last year. The 32-year-old had emerged as a prominent youth leader during the 2024 student-led uprising in Bangladesh, which led to the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, losing power. He was the co-founder and spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho, a political platform that emerged following the July 2024 uprising.
His killing had become a major flashpoint in Bangladesh, leading to more protests and riots.
The accused, Rahul alias Faisal Karim Masud (37) and Alamgir Hossain (34), were apprehended from Bongaon in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. According to police, Rahul is a resident of Patuakhali in Bangladesh, and Alamgir is a resident of Dhaka.
“There was secret credible information that two Bangladeshi nationals, after committing serious crimes including extortion and murder in Bangladesh, had fled their country and illegally entered India,” an STF statement said, adding, “They were trying to take shelter in the border area of Bongaon with the intention of crossing back into Bangladesh when an opportunity arises.”
Acting on the information, the agency said, a raid was conducted and the two were intercepted in Bongaon.
“During preliminary interrogation, it was revealed that Rahul, along with Alamgir Hossain, had committed the murder of Osman Hadi, a political activist of Bangladesh, and then fled,” an official said.
The accused had illegally entered Indian territory through the Meghalaya border and moved through different locations in the country before reaching Bongaon with the intention of crossing back into Bangladesh, said police.
A case has been registered against the accused in connection with the incident. The two were produced before a court on Sunday and have been sent to police custody.
Hadi was killed in the Purana Paltan area of Dhaka on December 12, 2025. He had just left a mosque and was travelling in an auto-rickshaw when the attack took place. According to officials, two assailants on a motorcycle pulled up alongside the rickshaw, and the pillion rider fired a point-blank shot into Hadi’s head. The Bangladesh police had identified the shooter as Faisal Karim Masud alias Daud and the driver as Alamgir. Both have been described as members of the Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League — the party led by Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh police had said that the primary suspects fled to India via the Haluaghat border into Meghalaya. On January 6, 2026, Bangladesh police filed a formal chargesheet naming 17 individuals in connection with the case. The motive was cited as “political vengeance”.
Hadi’s death had triggered nationwide riots in Bangladesh, and protesters targeted media houses they reportedly perceived as being pro-India, torching and vandalising the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.