Bangladesh: Yunus Government Had Osman Hadi Killed to Derail Polls, Alleges Slain Radical’s Brother

Dhaka: As Bangladesh’s political situation has grown increasingly volatile, Sharif Omar Hadi, the brother of slain radical leader Sharif Osman Hadi, has accused a vested group within the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of orchestrating his brother’s killing to derail the national elections scheduled for February 2026, local media reported.

Speaking at a programme organised by Inqilab Moncho outside the National Museum in Dhaka on Tuesday, Omar Hadi directly blamed the interim government for the murder. “It is you who had Osman Hadi killed, and now you are trying to foil the election by using this as an issue,” he said, according to reports.

Omar further stated that his brother was a strong supporter of holding the national elections by February and urged the authorities not to disrupt the electoral environment. The Daily Star reported him as saying that the government must ensure a swift trial of those responsible so that the election process is not affected.

“Ensure a speedy trial of the killers so the election environment is not harmed. The government has failed to show us any visible progress. If justice for Osman Hadi is not delivered, you too will be compelled to flee Bangladesh one day,” he warned.

At the same rally, Inqilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber reiterated the 30-working-day ultimatum given to the interim government to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing. This ultimatum was first announced in a press statement earlier this week.

On Monday, Inqilab Moncho had threatened to launch a movement to overthrow the Yunus-led interim government if justice was not delivered in the murder of its spokesperson, Hadi, local media reported.

Addressing a press conference in Dhaka, Abdullah Al Jaber said that a 24-hour ultimatum announced during Hadi’s funeral on December 20 had expired without any response from the interim government’s Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury or other authorities.

He alleged that neither the Home Advisor nor his special assistant attended the ministry’s briefing on the matter, describing it as an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the incident.

Later, the organisation demanded the immediate resignation of the Home Advisor, his special assistant, and the law advisor, holding them accountable for the killing of Inqilab Moncho’s convener. It also called for the judicial process in the Hadi murder case to be completed within a maximum of 30 working days through a speedy trial tribunal.

Bangladesh has witnessed a surge in violence targeting minorities, media organisations, cultural institutions and diplomatic missions under the Yunus-led interim government following Hadi’s killing on December 18.

With inputs from IANS