Who is the suspect Faisal in the shooting of Osman Hadi?

Faisal Karim Masud, also known as Daud Khan or Rahul, is the prime suspect in the December 12, 2025, gun attack on Sharif Osman bin Hadi, an independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in Bangladesh's upcoming 13th National Parliament election and convener of Inqilab Mancha. 

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police initially released a photo from CCTV footage of the scene without naming him, seeking public assistance to locate the individual, after analysing video that showed the shooter firing from the back of a motorcycle in broad daylight near Bijoynagar's Box Culvert Road in Paltan. 

Subsequent reports from outlets like Daily Samakal and confirmed by police identified him as Faisal, a former leader in the now-banned Chhatra League, the student wing of the banned Awami League. 

He hails from Keshabpur Union in Baufal Upazila of Patuakhali district, with his father's name being Humayun Kabir, though his family has resided in Dhaka's Adabor area for an extended period. 

Faisal became a full committee member of the central Chhatra League on May 11, 2019, under the leadership of Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury and Golam Rabbani, and his full name is sometimes listed as Faisal Karim Daud Khan. 

Multiple intelligence agencies have pinpointed him as the main perpetrator, prompting alerts to all airports, land ports, and borders to block his potential escape from the country. 

On November 8 of the previous year, he was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion for allegedly storming an office in Adabor and looting Tk 1.7 million, leading to charges under the Arms Act; he received bail after three months, with extensions granted as recently as August. 

His LinkedIn profile under the name Faisal Karim describes him as the owner of three companies—Apple Soft IT, YCU Technology, and Enlist Work—and states that he graduated in computer science from a private university in 2013 before completing an MBA at another private institution. 

A former Dhaka Metropolitan North Chhatra League leader verified this account to investigators. 

DUCSU's Liberation War and Democracy Secretary Fatima Tasnim Juma publicly shared photos including Hadi and urged the identification and arrest of three individuals, while sources confirmed that the suspect Faisal Karim in the Hadi shooting is the same person as the former central Chhatra League member Faisal Karim Daud Khan. 

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury announced a Tk 5 million reward for information leading to the identification and capture of the shooter, later increased to Tk 50 lakh in government statements, amid a nationwide security clampdown and the relaunch of Operation Devil Hunt to curb unrest and illegal arms. 

Hadi remains in critical condition at Evercare Hospital following the attack, which has sparked protests and heightened political tensions ahead of the February 12, 2026, elections.