Sharif Osman Hadi is seen with fellow fighters at an event in Shahbag, Dhaka, on November 26, 2025.

Photo: Sharif Khiam Ahmed/One-man Newsroom

Newsman, Dhaka

Two suspects in the killing of Inqilab Moncho convener Sharif Osman bin Hadi have been detained in India’s West Bengal state near the Bangladesh border, according to statements from Indian police and Bangladesh’s military media wing, in a development that could ease weeks of tension between the two neighbours over the case.

The suspects, 37-year-old Faisal Karim Masud, also known as Rahul, from the southern district of Patuakhali, and 34-year-old Alamgir Hossain from Dhaka, were detained during a late-night operation in the border town of Bongaon on Saturday, the West Bengal Police Special Task Force (STF) said in a press release issued Sunday.

According to the STF statement, the operation followed “secret and credible intelligence” that two Bangladeshi nationals involved in serious crimes, including murder and extortion, had fled Bangladesh and entered India illegally.

Investigators said the suspects had taken shelter in the Bongaon border area while apparently waiting for an opportunity to cross back into Bangladesh.

During preliminary questioning, investigators learned that Faisal, also known as Rahul, and Alamgir were involved in the killing of Hadi and fled Bangladesh shortly after the attack, the STF said.

The suspects allegedly crossed into India through the Meghalaya border and moved across several locations before eventually reaching Bongaon.

Police filed ‍a case in West Bengal following the arrests. They said the suspects were brought before a court on Sunday and remanded in custody as the investigation proceeds.
Bangladesh’s official response

Bangladesh’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the suspects were detained based on intelligence shared by Bangladesh’s defence authorities.

In a statement, the military’s media wing said on Sunday, the two suspects in the Hadi murder case were detained in Bongaon, West Bengal, following intelligence shared by Bangladesh’s defence agency.

The ISPR added that procedures to return the suspects to Bangladesh have already begun.

On the same day, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), citing defence intelligence sources, reported that the suspects had crossed into India illegally via the Meghalaya border after the killing.

They were said to have moved between several locations before attempting to take shelter near the Bongaon frontier in hopes of returning to Bangladesh.
Intelligence coordination

The ISPR statement said information from multiple sources suggested that Indian authorities had recently stepped up action against suspects who fled Bangladesh following a visit to India by a senior official of Bangladesh’s defence intelligence agency.

Bangladesh’s daily Prothom Alo, citing intelligence sources, later reported that the newly appointed director-general of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) raised the issue of fugitives linked to the Hadi murder and other cases during the visit and requested Indian authorities to detain them and facilitate their return to Bangladesh.

According to the report, Indian authorities assured Bangladesh that they would take action against suspects who had fled the country and were operating from Indian territory, including those accused of conducting anti-Bangladesh propaganda from India.
Earlier diplomatic tension

The detention of the suspects follows weeks of friction between Dhaka and New Delhi over the case. On December 28, sixteen days after the attack, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said the main suspects, Faisal and Alamgir, had fled Bangladesh and were believed to be hiding in India’s Meghalaya state.

Indian authorities at the time dismissed the claim, insisting the suspects were not in India. The denial sparked a brief diplomatic row between New Delhi and Dhaka.
Background of the killing

Hadi, 32, a political activist and convener of the Inqilab Moncho platform, was shot dead in Dhaka on December 12, 2025, just a day after Bangladesh’s national election schedule.

Video footage from the scene showed two men arriving on a motorcycle and shooting him at close range near the Bijoynagar water tank in the capital. He was later flown to Singapore for treatment and died on December 18 while undergoing medical care.

Bangladeshi investigators earlier identified Faisal as the alleged gunman and Alamgir as the motorcycle driver who assisted in carrying out the attack.

The detention of the two suspects in India nearly three months after the shooting could pave the way for their extradition to Bangladesh, where authorities say the investigation into the killing is continuing.