Hours before the fatal attack on anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi, the alleged shooter, Faisal Karim, told his girlfriend that “something was coming that would shake the entire country”. The warning proved eerily true as Bangladesh is now reeling from violence ahead of crucial February 2026 elections.
Violence and chaos gripped Bangladesh on Thursday night. Nationwide protests and unrest came after the death of radical anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi in Singapore. Media houses, cultural centres, and even the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been torched. A Hindu man was lynched and burnt to death over blasphemy allegations. Osman Hadi was shot last week by masked, bike-borne attackers in Dhaka. The alleged shooter and prime accused, Faisal Karim, could only have guessed what was to come. The outcome of the shooting is eerily close to what Faisal himself had foretold. At a resort outside Dhaka, the night before the shooting, Faisal told his girlfriend that something was going to happen that would “shake entire Bangladesh”, according to reports.
Hours later, Faisal, along with two accomplices, shot Hadi in broad daylight in the capital, Dhaka. A bullet penetrated Hadi’s ear and came out of the other. Hadi was rushed to hospital, where he remained in critical condition for days. Under the Muhammad Yunus administration’s supervision, he was flown to Singapore by air ambulance, where he died after days of treatment.
What has followed Hadi’s death is pure mayhem. Bangladesh has been pushed into chaos just as crucial elections are set for February 2026.
Sharif Osman Hadi was a radical anti-India leader and the spokesperson of the Anti-Sheikh Hasina Inqilab Mancha. He was also an independent political candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency.
WHAT BANGLADESHI INVESTIGATORS SAID ABOUT THE NIGHT BEFORE HADI’S SHOOTING?
According to Bangladeshi investigators, the night before the attack holds critical clues.
Law enforcement agencies probing the case said Faisal had hinted to his girlfriend about a major incident even before the first shot was fired. While staying at a resort in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Faisal allegedly told his close associate and girlfriend, Maria Akhtar Lima, that something dramatic would happen the following day.
“It would be something that would shake the entire country,” Faisal told Maria, while he showed her a video clip of Hadi, reported Dhaka-based Jamuna Television.
“Something will happen tomorrow (on Friday), that the whole country will tremble,” newspaper Daily Jugantor quoted Faisal as saying.
That statement emerged during interrogation of those arrested, including Maria, and from investigation-linked sources. Authorities said the comment suggested prior knowledge and planning. This, they claimed, revealed that the attack on Hadi was a well-planned and coordinated operation, involving dozens of people.
Faisal is married to a woman named Saheda Parvin Samia, who has been arrested along with other family members.
HOW WAS SHARIF OSMAN HADI’S SHOOTING PLANNED?
Investigators in Bangladesh believe the shooting was the result of a well-organised conspiracy. According to police findings, a former councillor is suspected to be the main planner behind the attempted assassination. Officials said at least 20 people were involved in various roles, ranging from financing and weapons procurement to executing the attack and facilitating the escape of the shooters.
So far, nine people have been arrested in joint operations conducted by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the police, reported Prothom Alo newspaper.
Raids conducted as part of the investigation have led to the recovery of firearms, bullets, magazines, and cheques worth several crore taka, Jamuna Television reported. Officials said information obtained during remand has pointed to the existence of additional shooter groups.
An investigating officer said preliminary findings suggest that a significant amount of money was invested with the clear intention of killing Hadi.
The RAB has confirmed that two magazines used in the shooting and 11 rounds of ammunition were recovered from beneath the residence of Faisal’s sister. Separately, investigators recovered two foreign pistols, two magazines, a toy pistol, and 41 rounds of ammunition from a pond in Dhaka’s adjoining Narsingdi district, which the police believe were used in the attack.
Investigators confirmed that the motorcycle used during the shooting carried a fake number plate. After the attack, Faisal and his accomplices reportedly went into hiding in multiple locations in Dhaka. Police have also uncovered evidence suggesting that number plates were changed by Faisal’s father to evade detection.
SEVERAL ARRESTS MADE BUT OSMAN HADI’S SHOOTERS STILL AT LARGE
Authorities in Bangladesh have arrested several people linked to the attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, but the main shooters are still missing. The RAB took Faisal Karim’s parents into custody and handed them over to the Detective Branch (DB). Others arrested include Faisal’s wife Saheda Parvin Samia, his brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Shipu, his girlfriend Maria Akhtar Lima, the alleged motorcycle owner Abdul Hannan, and Faisal’s close aide Md Kabir, along with a few more.
Some of the accused are on remand, while several others remain under watch by the police. However, Faisal Karim and his accomplices, the ones who shot Hadi in broad daylight, are still absconding. Bangladeshi news outlets had earlier reported that Faisal and his aides had escaped to India, even as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said “there was no verified evidence that the attackers crossed into India”, reported Dhaka-based TV channel, Jagonews24 on December 14.
However, on the same day, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration urged India to arrest and hand over the attackers, even as the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said there was no verified evidence that the shooters had crossed into India.
