'Paid Osman Hadi 5 Lakh Taka To Lobby Yunus Govt': Suspected Killer Releases New Video

Faisal Karim Masud, named by Bangladeshi authorities as the prime suspect in the killing of radical anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi, released a second self-recorded video within 24 hours denying any involvement in the murder and claiming he is currently in Dubai.

In the video, posted on X by Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, Faisal Karim Masud rejected police allegations that he fled to India through the Haluaghat border after the killing. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police had earlier said Faisal Karim Masud crossed into India following the murder, a claim he has repeatedly denied.

“I have not in any way, initially or later, been involved. This is completely false,” Faisal Karim Masud said in the video, adding that he had travelled

to Dubai to protect himself from what he described as a “witch hunt”.

Faisal Karim Masud said he had financial dealings with Osman Hadi but insisted they were strictly business-related. Describing himself as a software engineer and businessman, he said his IT ventures suffered losses after the student-led uprising in July last year that culminated in the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

According to Faisal Karim Masud, he approached Osman Hadi for help in securing government-linked work and IT contracts under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. He claimed he paid Osman Hadi five lakh taka to lobby officials in the interim government.

“After I spoke to him, he assured me that I would get the job. He also wanted five lakh taka, so I gave him the money,” Faisal Karim Masud said, asserting that the payment was meant solely for lobbying.

Faisal Karim Masud further alleged that their association later extended to political organising, with Osman Hadi asking him to help mobilise volunteers for programmes linked to the interim government. He said the discussions revolved around logistics and expenses and that there was no dispute between them.

This is the second video Faisal Karim Masud has released in less than a day. In his earlier message, he claimed that Osman Hadi was killed by members of Jamaat Shibir and accused “Jamatis” of being behind the attack.

“I did not kill Hadi. My family and I are being implicated,” Faisal Karim Masud said, reiterating that his ties with Osman Hadi were professional and involved political donations in exchange for promised contracts.

Sharif Osman Hadi was a prominent figure in Bangladesh’s July 2024 uprising and a senior leader and spokesperson of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha. He had also launched his campaign as a candidate for the February 12 general elections from Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area.

Osman Hadi was shot by masked attackers while leaving a mosque in Dhaka and later died of his injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 18. His killing triggered violent unrest across Bangladesh, including attacks on the Indian High Commission building and arson targeting the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.