Faisal Karim Masud, prime accused in Bangladeshi leader Osman Hadi’s murder, denies charges from Dubai, blaming Jamaat-Shibir; police claim he fled to India, but BSF finds no evidence, amid escalating cross-border tensions.
Faisal Karim Masud, a prominent IT entrepreneur and the key suspect in the sensational murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, has broken his silence through a video statement purportedly recorded in Dubai. In the footage, which surfaced on social media platforms around December 30, 2025, Masud categorically rejects any involvement in the December 12 shooting that left Hadi critically wounded in Dhaka’s bustling Motijheel area.
“I did not kill Hadi. Our relationship was purely business-oriented. Hadi is a product of Jamaat. Jamatis may have been behind it,” he declared, pointing fingers at the Islamist groups Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Shibir for orchestrating the attack.
Masud further alleged a political vendetta against his family, claiming donations to Hadi’s Inquilab Mancha were tied to prospective government contracts, not ideological allegiance.
This bold denial has ignited fresh debate, with supporters hailing it as proof of innocence and critics dismissing it as a fugitive’s evasion tactic.
Bangladesh authorities, undeterred, paint a starkly different picture. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam detailed how Masud, accompanied by associate Alamgir Sheikh, allegedly slipped across the porous Haluaghat border into India’s Meghalaya on December 13.
“They were aided by local facilitators and received by individuals named Purti and taxi driver Sami,” Islam stated, underscoring Bangladesh’s formal extradition request to New Delhi. Yet, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has refuted these claims, asserting no records of unlawful crossings in the area.
This diplomatic standoff highlights longstanding challenges in Indo-Bangla border management, where smuggling routes and political exiles often blur lines of accountability. Masud’s current location in Dubai adds another layer, raising questions about international cooperation in apprehending him.
Victim’s Legacy: From Protester to Target
Sharif Osman Hadi, aged 32 at the time of his death, embodied the fiery spirit of Bangladesh’s youth uprising. As convenor of the Inquilab Mancha-a coalition born from the 2024 student-led protests that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government-Hadi emerged as a fierce critic of perceived Indian “domination” in Bangladeshi affairs.
His rhetoric, often laced with anti-India barbs, positioned him as a frontrunner for the February 2025 elections, where he campaigned vigorously on promises of sovereignty and reform. On that fateful December 12 evening, as Hadi rode a rickshaw through Bijoynagar, assailants on a motorbike fired at him at point-blank range, the bullet grazing near his left ear.
Rushed to a local hospital and later airlifted to Singapore, he battled for six agonising days before succumbing on December 18, leaving behind a wife, young child, and a movement mourning its loss.
Hadi’s killing triggered immediate outrage, with thousands protesting in Dhaka’s streets demanding swift justice. Inquilab Mancha activists accused political rivals of silencing a rising voice, while Hadi’s family pleaded for an unbiased probe.
“He fought for our independence from external influences; his blood should not be in vain,” a close aide recounted. The murder fits a pattern of targeted violence against activists in post-Hasina Bangladesh, where interim governance grapples with Islamist resurgence and economic woes.
Police have named 15 suspects so far, including Masud as the mastermind, allegedly motivated by personal grudges over unpaid dues or political rivalry. Forensic evidence from the bullet casings and CCTV footage from the scene bolsters the case against him, though Masud’s video introduces reasonable doubt for some observers.
Cross-Border Probe Complications
The intrigue deepened with reports of two additional suspects fleeing to India shortly after the attack, as claimed by Bangladesh police in late December. Times of India coverage detailed how these individuals reportedly used remote northeastern trails, prompting calls for joint investigations.
However, BSF’s vigilance along the 4,096-km frontier-fraught with rivers, forests, and villages-has yielded no confessions or arrests, fueling accusations of sheltering from Dhaka. Bangladesh’s interim administration, led by Muhammad Yunus’ council, faces mounting pressure to resolve high-profile cases amid fears of instability.
“Extradition processes are underway, but evidence must be ironclad,” a Home Ministry official noted anonymously, emphasising Interpol’s potential role if Masud remains in the UAE.
This episode underscores deeper geopolitical frictions. Hadi’s anti-India stance had already strained ties, with his campaigns echoing grievances over water-sharing, border killings, and trade imbalances. Masud’s business ventures, spanning IT and real estate, reportedly intertwined with political funding, suggesting the murder may stem from shadowy power plays rather than ideology alone.
Social media amplifies the narrative war: pro-Masud posts garner lakhs of views, while Hadi sympathisers trend #JusticeForOsman. As investigations drag, public trust erodes, risking communal flare-ups in border regions.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Amid this vortex of accusations and denials, The Logical Indian calls for empathy-driven justice that transcends borders and biases.
Transparent, collaborative probes between India, Bangladesh, and international partners honour Hadi’s sacrifice for youth empowerment, while rejecting witch hunts that breed division.
Prioritising dialogue, kindness, and harmony can transform tragedy into a catalyst for coexistence, ensuring no family endures such loss again.
