Bangladesh seeks UN support for proper probe into Hadi killing

The Bangladesh interim government has formally requested assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to support a thorough, impartial investigation and ensure justice in the assassination of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi.

Acting on directives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh's Permanent Mission in Geneva delivered an official Note Verbale to the OHCHR on February 6, 2026, according to a statement from the Chief Adviser's Press Wing released on February 8.

The note specifically seeks technical and institutional support from the UN human rights body to aid in probing the killing.

The government emphasized its strong commitment to identifying those responsible for Hadi's death and holding them accountable. It pledged that the entire process will uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability, fully aligned with international human rights norms.

The Bangladesh Mission in Geneva will promptly update the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on any response from the OHCHR.

Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson for Inquilab Mancha and a prominent organizer of the July Uprising (also known as the 2024 student-led revolution that led to the fall of the previous government), was shot on December 12, 2025, while traveling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw in Dhaka's Paltan area.

He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital as his condition worsened. On December 15, he was airlifted to Singapore via air ambulance for advanced treatment, where he succumbed to his gunshot wounds on December 18, 2025. His death triggered widespread protests across Bangladesh.