Bangladesh’s interim government has requested assistance from the UN human rights office to investigate the killing of student leader and election candidate Sharif Osman Hadi.
Hadi was shot during an election campaign in Dhaka in December; police blamed “political vengeance” linked to the Awami League, a claim rejected by his party.
The killing sparked political unrest and diplomatic strain with India, which has denied allegations of any involvement.
Bangladesh’s interim government of Muhammad Yunus has sought the cooperation of the UN human rights office for a fair and transparent investigation into the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a media report said on Sunday.
The 32-year-old spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho, who gained national attention during the massive demonstrations in July and August of 2024 that overthrew the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina, was shot in the head on December 12 during a Dhaka election campaign.
According to state-run BSS, the interim administration has asked the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for assistance to guarantee a thorough investigation into Hadi's murder.
The Chief Adviser's Press Wing announced on Saturday that the OHCHR received an official Note Verbale from Bangladesh's Permanent Mission in Geneva on Friday.
Bangladesh has formally requested technical and institutional assistance from the UN human rights office for the investigation into the killing, it added.
"The government of Bangladesh has reiterated that it is firmly committed to identifying those responsible for the killing of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi and bringing them to justice," said the press wing.
Hadi was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 12 elections. He was airlifted to Singapore for treatment but died on December 18.
In January, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) Detective Branch pressed formal charges against 17 people, including prime suspect Faisal Karim Masud, in connection with the murder and said Hadi was killed due to "political vengeance" at the behest of the Awami League.
Hadi's party, however, denied the police chargesheet and charged the state apparatus with complicity in the murder.
Md. Shafiqul Islam, Additional Commissioner of the DMP Detective Branch, stated during a news briefing in Dhaka that Masud, the alleged shooter, had a direct connection to the Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League.
He claimed that Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi, a ward councillor chosen by the Awami League, ordered Hadi's murder.
Last year, the Awami League and its student branch were outlawed by the interim administration.
Hadi's killing triggered fresh political unrest in Bangladesh and strained ties with India, after some groups alleged an Indian link to the crime.
New Delhi has strongly rejected the accusations, calling them a “false narrative”
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