Dhaka,  28 Dec

Bangladesh police have claimed that two prime suspects in the murder of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi have fled the country and are believed to be hiding in India.

Hadi, 32, an Inquilab Moncho leader, was shot in the head on December 12 while campaigning in Dhaka ahead of the upcoming elections. He was flown to Singapore for specialised treatment but succumbed to his injuries on December 18.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) S N Md Nazrul Islam said the accused  Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh  crossed into the Indian state of Meghalaya with assistance from local contacts.

According to police, the duo entered India through the Haluaghat border and were initially received by a person identified as Purti. They were later taken to Tura city in Meghalaya by a taxi driver named Sami, Islam said, as quoted by The Daily Star.

The police official did not specify when the suspects fled Bangladesh. There was no immediate response from Indian authorities regarding the claim.

Hadi had emerged as a prominent youth face during the July–August 2024 mass protests that led to the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. He was also a parliamentary candidate for the February 12 elections.