Growing concerns have emerged over the safety of several senior leaders of the July Movement, following a series of alarming incidents in the capital. The situation took a particularly worrying turn last Friday evening, when Sharif Osman bin Hadi, the spokesperson for Inquilab Mancha and an independent parliamentary candidate for Dhaka-8, was seriously injured in a shooting attack in Dhaka. Hadi sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was immediately rushed to Evercare Hospital, where he remains under intensive observation. Medical professionals have described his condition as critical.
In the wake of the attack, a succession of sensational revelations has surfaced. According to multiple reliable sources, the incident is not an isolated act of violence but appears to be part of a premeditated “targeted killing” plan. Hadi and several other prominent organisers of the July Movement have reportedly been on an assassination list for an extended period. Allegations have also emerged suggesting that relevant government authorities had been warned about the potential threat well before the attack, yet effective preventive measures were reportedly not implemented.
The purported list of targets is said to include Hasnat Abdullah, the southern regional chief of the National Citizens Party (NCP), and Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, Secretary General of the Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party. Other active July Movement leaders have also been named as at-risk individuals, with immediate threats to their lives flagged by sources.
Reports indicate that the initial warnings came last September through a UK-based lawyer who maintains professional contacts with various international security agencies. This individual allegedly obtained sensitive intelligence pointing to a coordinated plot to assassinate key July Movement leaders and promptly shared the information with national intelligence agencies and senior officials. In parallel, Hadi and two other leaders are reported to have personally alerted the authorities regarding their vulnerability.
Speaking on the matter, Barrister Fuad stated, “We received credible intelligence and informed the government. However, there has been no visible response. Simply providing personal security does not resolve such a grave crisis. Under current conditions, it is nearly impossible to conduct grassroots politics under police protection alone.” He added that without decisive action against illegal arms possession and armed criminal networks ahead of the elections, free and fair voting would remain in jeopardy, cautioning that symbolic or superficial operations could exacerbate the situation.
Police sources have suggested potential involvement of criminals residing abroad in the attack on Hadi. A suspected hired assassin, known as Philip or Garo Philip, has been named, and authorities believe that apprehending him could reveal the identities of the plot’s mastermind organisers.
Neither the Home Ministry’s senior officials nor the police have issued formal comments. While the Inspector General of Police claimed that the force had not received prior intelligence on the matter, public anxiety continues to intensify amid mounting fears for the leaders’ lives.