Dhaka, Dec 16: Bangladesh’s interim government said it will airlift wounded student leader and election candidate Sharif Osman Hadi to Singapore for advanced medical treatment after he was critically injured in an apparent assassination attempt in the capital.
Masked assailants shot Hadi on December 12 as he was leaving a mosque in Dhaka, striking him in the ear. The attack came a day after authorities announced the date of the first national election since the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In a statement, the interim administration said that the state would bear all expenses for Hadi’s treatment, adding that an air ambulance and a team of doctors are on standby to facilitate his transfer to Singapore.
Hadi is a senior leader of the student protest platform Inqilab Mancha and is contesting the upcoming polls. He is also known as a vocal critic of India, where Hasina has been living in self-imposed exile since her removal from office.
Security tightened, manhunt launched
Police have launched a nationwide manhunt, releasing photographs of two key suspects and announcing a reward of five million taka for information leading to their arrest. Dhaka police said border security has been put on high alert.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the capital to condemn the shooting, describing it as an attack on the unity of forces that led last year’s uprising.
Yunus warns of plot to derail polls
Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate heading the caretaker administration until elections scheduled for February 12, said the shooting was a premeditated attack by a powerful network.
“The objective of the conspirators is to derail the election,” Yunus said, adding that the attack was “symbolic” and intended to sabotage the electoral process. He called on the public to resist such attempts.
The government has ordered enhanced security for all political leaders and candidates, including protection for their homes, offices, movements, rallies and online activities.
Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of around 170 million people, will elect 300 members of parliament and vote in a referendum on major democratic reforms on the same day.
Fragile political climate
Political tensions remain high amid the transition. Hasina was convicted in absentia and sentenced to death, but has refused to return to Bangladesh despite repeated requests from Dhaka. Her Awami League party has since been banned, while arrests of individuals accused of promoting it have drawn criticism from rights groups.
The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is widely seen as the frontrunner in the coming election. Its leader, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is currently in intensive care in Dhaka, while her son and political heir Tarique Rahman is expected to return from exile in Britain on December 25.
The shooting of Hadi has heightened concerns over security and political violence as Bangladesh heads toward a pivotal vote.
