Dhaka’s political landscape is heating up as Bangladesh’s interim government announces plans to request a United Nations investigation into the assassination of Sharif Usman Hadi, spokesperson for the radical Inkilab Mancha group. Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus’s office confirmed the decision through a social media post by Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, stating that a formal proposal will be submitted to the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s office.
This move comes amid escalating tensions, triggered by a protest sit-in outside the Chief Adviser’s official residence, Jamuna House, in Dhaka. Members of Inkilab Mancha, including Secretary Abdullah Al Jabbar, Fatima Tasnim Juma, Hadi’s widow, and a handful of supporters, began the demonstration on Thursday evening. Addressing the crowd, Jabbar emphasized their resolve, noting the group could have mobilized thousands but chose a symbolic stand with Hadi’s grieving wife until firm assurances are provided.
‘We will not end this sit-in without a full guarantee of justice,’ Jabbar declared. Social media updates from the protesters painted a tense picture: surrounded by police wielding batons, they vowed, ‘No movement until a fair UN-led probe into Hadi’s killing— even if it costs us our lives.’
Hadi, 32, gained prominence during the July-August 2024 mass protests that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government. A parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 12 elections, he was accused of promoting Islamist and anti-India ideologies. On December 12, 2025, while riding a rickshaw on Dhaka’s Paltan Road, motorbike assailants shot him in the head. Airlifted to Singapore for treatment, Hadi succumbed to his injuries on December 18.
Bangladesh Police labeled the hit politically motivated, alleging the plot was hatched in Singapore. Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch filed a chargesheet against 17 suspects in a metropolitan court. As protests intensify and the UN probe hangs in balance, Bangladesh braces for potential unrest ahead of elections.