In a scathing social media post, former State Minister Mohammad Ali Arafat has accused the interim government of allowing unsubstantiated rumours and “dirty politics” to escalate into widespread anti-Indian violence following the murder of Osman Goni, alias Sharif Osman Hadi, a radical Islamist figure and MP candidate.
Arafat’s comments highlight the administration’s apparent failure to curb baseless accusations against India, despite law enforcement officials admitting they lack any concrete evidence linking the suspect to the neighbouring country.
On Sunday, Arafat posted on X, referencing a joint press conference by Bangladeshโs Special Branch Chief Khandaker Rafiqul Islam and Detective Branch Chief Shafiqul Islam.
He emphasised that the briefing represented the Yunus administration’s sole official statement on the suspect’s whereabouts in the high-profile case. “Both officials admitted they have no specific information about the suspectโs last known location. They also confirmed they have no concrete evidence that the suspect crossed the border into India,” Arafat wrote.
Despite this official acknowledgement, Arafat pointed out that senior leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and others have repeatedly blamed India in recent days, with rhetoric escalating to threats of severing India’s Northeast region. He noted that even on the day of the press conference, family members of Osman Hadi engaged in anti-Indian chants, with attempts to march on the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
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In other districts, Indian diplomatic offices faced attacks and vandalism. “At this point, no one knows who killed Osman Hadi or why. Yet rumours and dirty politics have elevated him into a mythical figure, triggering attacks by radical Islamists on media houses, cultural institutions, and the Indian High Commission, among others,” Arafat added, calling the episode “nothing short of unbelievable.”
The press conference, held earlier Saturday, featured key quotes underscoring the investigative impasse. Special Branch Chief Rafiqul Islam stated, โWe do not have any specific information about the last location.โ On the border-crossing rumours, he added in Bengali: โAnd regarding whether the accused crossed the border, we have no specific information on that.โ
Detective Branch Chief Shafiqul Islam echoed this, saying: โWe have not been able to confirm that he crossed the border,โ while suggesting the misinformation could be a deliberate tactic by criminals to mislead authorities: โThis is one possibility; many times, criminals attempt to hide their location by spreading various kinds of misleading information. This could be such an attempt.โ
Masked gunmen shot Osman Hadi, a controversial figure linked to radical Islamist group Islami Chhatra Shibir, on December 12 while he was campaigning as an independent candidate in Dhaka’s Paltan area. He succumbed to his injuries on December 18 in Singapore, sparking days of violent protests that have claimed lives and targeted media outlets like Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, cultural institutions such as Chhayanaut and Udichi, and Indian diplomatic sites. Protesters, often under banners like Touhidi Janata linked to extremist elements, have chanted anti-India slogans and attacked perceived secular or pro-India symbols.
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The prime suspect, Faisal Karim Masud (alias Daud Khan), remains at large, with police confirming no trace of his location. Initial blame fell on groups like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, but narratives quickly shifted to accuse the Awami League and India, despite the former’s weakened organisational base since Hasina’s ouster in August 2024.
Activists and researchers, including journalist Sultana Rahman, have alleged that figures close to the Yunus administrationโsuch as Al Jazeera reporter Zulkarnain Saer Sami and International Crimes Tribunal Assistant Attorney General Tanvir Hassan Zohaโare diverting the probe through misinformation. These individuals, accused of ties to Pakistan’s ISI and Jamaat-e-Islami, have spread unverified claims on social media about the suspect fleeing to India, fueling mob violence.
NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah has threatened to support separatists in India’s “Seven Sisters” states and called for expelling the Indian High Commissioner. Former adviser Mahfuj Alam warned India, saying: โIf you think you can enter Bangladesh, kill our brightest sons, and get away with it, then we will say, โJust as our sleep has been disrupted, yours will be disrupted too.โโ Such statements persist amid police denials of border-crossing evidence.
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Arafat’s critique aligns with his broader accusations against Yunus for relying on “mob support” and inflaming anti-Indian sentiments to consolidate power. In a separate post on December 19, Arafat highlighted how Hadi’s supporters’ sit-in at Shahbagh devolved into a gathering of jihadist elements, including Jasimuddin Rahmani of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansarullah Bangla Team, who has justified past blogger killings.
The United Nations has urged a “swift and transparent investigation” into Hadi’s murder, emphasising international cooperation if the suspect is abroad. However, inconsistencies in medical reportsโinitially claiming the bullet entered from the left side, later revised to the rightโhave raised suspicions of internal foul play or cover-ups. The Detective Branch has taken over the probe, but with no arrests of the assailants and ongoing violence, including the recent lynching of a Hindu man amid related unrest, tensions remain high.
As Bangladesh grapples with pre-election instability, critics like Arafat argue that exploiting Hadi’s death for political gain risks further polarising the nation and straining regional ties. The Yunus administration has not responded to Arafat’s latest remarks, but the case continues to draw international scrutiny, with the US and the UK issuing security alerts amid escalating tensions.
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