Faisal Karim Masud, named by Bangladeshi authorities as the prime suspect in the killing of radical anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi, has released a second video within 24 hours, once again denying any role in the murder and claiming he is currently in Dubai.
In the latest video, Masud said he had paid money to Hadi to lobby officials in the Muhammad Yunus–led interim government on behalf of his company, but insisted the transaction had no connection to Hadi’s killing.
The claim contradicts the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s assertion that Masud fled to India through the Haluaghat border after the murder. In the video, however, Masud maintains that he left Bangladesh for Dubai.
The self-recorded video was shared on X by Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. Calling the allegations against him “completely false,” Masud said he had “no involvement whatsoever, directly or indirectly,” in the killing.
Alleged financial dealings with Hadi
In the video, Masud introduced himself as a software engineer and businessman whose IT venture suffered losses following the student-led uprising in July last year, which eventually led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. He claimed he approached Hadi seeking assistance in securing government-linked IT contracts.
“After I spoke to him, he assured me that I would get the job. He demanded five lakh taka, which I paid,” Masud said, adding that the money was meant for lobbying officials in the interim government.
According to Masud, their association later extended beyond business. He claimed Hadi asked him to help mobilise volunteers for programmes linked to the Yunus administration, quoting Hadi as saying, “Give me 50 people on December 16 so I can succeed in my programme.” Masud said their discussions were limited to logistics and expenses and denied any fallout or dispute between them.
This is the second video Masud has released in the past 24 hours. In his earlier message, he also claimed to be in Dubai and alleged that Jamaat Shibir members were behind Hadi’s killing. “I did not kill Hadi. My family and I are being targeted. I came to Dubai to protect myself from this witch hunt,” he said, describing Hadi as a “product of Jamaat.”
Masud reiterated that his relationship with Hadi was strictly professional, saying he had made political donations in exchange for assurances of government contracts.
Business and political background
In the video, Masud spoke about his company, YCU Technology, and a computer game titled Battle of 71. According to a Dhaka Tribune report, YCU Technology developed the game in 2016, based on Bangladesh’s Liberation War and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Masud was also associated with Apple Soft IT, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Masud had earlier been appointed a Central Committee member of the Chhatra League, the student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. Both the Awami League and the Chhatra League have since been banned by the Yunus-led interim government.
Who was Sharif Osman Hadi?
Sharif Osman Hadi was a prominent radical leader known for his anti-India stance and played a visible role in the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh. A senior leader and spokesperson of the student protest platform Inqilab Mancha, Hadi had also announced his candidacy for the February 12 general elections from Dhaka’s Bijoynagar constituency.
He was shot by masked assailants while leaving a mosque in Dhaka and later died from his injuries at a hospital in Singapore on December 18. His death 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.
The videos released by Faisal Karim Masud have added a new layer to the case, bringing alleged financial dealings and possible political links into focus as investigations continue.