Bangladesh working with India to extradite 2 suspects in killing of prominent activist

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s police chief said Monday that diplomatic efforts are being made with India to arrange the handover of two suspects in the December killing of a Bangladeshi political activist that sparked protests across the country.

Authorities in India said Sunday that a special police team arrested two Bangladesh nationals, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Hossain, during a raid in Bongaon, a city in the North 24 Parganas district of India’s West Bengal state.

The two are suspects in the Dec. 12 shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi, who took part in the 2024 political uprising that ended former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule. Days after being shot in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, he was flown to Singapore for further treatment and died there Dec. 18.

An Indian court on Sunday ordered the two suspects to be held for questioning, the PTI news outlet reported.

Bangladesh Inspector General of Police Mohammed Ali Hossain Fakir said Monday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was working to transfer the suspects through Bangladesh’s extradition treaty with India.

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Separately, Bangladesh’s junior minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed said later Monday that the country expected cooperation from India on granting consular access and the subsequent extradition of the suspects. She said that consular access was necessary to confirm the identities of the suspects by Bangladeshi officials.

She said Bangladesh is waiting for response from India.

Hadi was a student leader and spokesperson of a youth group, Inquilab Mancha, which promoted cultural revolution in Bangladesh. His death sparked protests across the country. Furious protesters rallied in Dhaka and attacked the offices of the country’s two leading daily newspapers.

Hadi’s supporters blamed India and former Prime Minister Hasina for killing him. He had fiercely criticized India and Hasina, who fled to India after the mass uprising ended her rule in August 2024. Liberals in Bangladesh blamed Hadi for promoting radical views as he built a strong follower base among young people and Islamists.

Police in Bangladesh previously said they identified the suspects in the killing but they may have fled the country. Indian authorities said the men sheltered in the border area of Bongaon with the intention of crossing back into Bangladesh.