India Arrests Another Suspect Linked to Murder of Popular Bangladeshi Student Leader Sharif Usman Hadi

India has arrested another suspect linked to the murder of popular Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Usman Hadi in Dhaka, West Bengal police said on Sunday. The arrested suspect is accused of helping two individuals involved in Hadi's murder illegally enter India.

Hadi, who was active in the 2024 Bangladeshi student uprising, was shot and wounded by masked attackers in Dhaka on December 12. He later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore.

West Bengal police had named Faisal Karim Masood and Alamgir Hossain as the main suspects in the murder. Police stated that the two fled to India via the Halua Ghat border shortly after the attack on Hadi. India arrested the pair on March 8, and they are currently in police custody.

According to Superintendent Indrajit of the West Bengal Special Task Force, Philip Sangma was arrested for allegedly assisting Masood and Hossain in entering India. He has been sent to police custody for one week before being presented in the district court.

Violent protests erupted in Bangladesh following Hadi's death. Angry mobs set fire to several buildings, including two major newspapers and a cultural institution believed to be pro-India.

Tensions between India and Bangladesh were further strained after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took refuge in India following the pro-democracy uprising. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has denied claims that New Delhi was involved in Hadi's murder.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on its victory in the first parliamentary election following Sheikh Hasina's departure from power.

–––