Bangladesh working with India to extradite 2 suspects in killing of prominent activist

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - Bangladesh's police chief said diplomatic efforts are being made with India to arrange the handover of two suspects in the killing of a Bangladeshi political activist whose death sparked protests across the country.

Authorities in India said Sunday that a special police team arrested two Bangladesh nationals, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Hossain, during a raid in Bongaon, a city in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal state.

An Indian court on Sunday ordered them to be held for questioning, the PTI news outlet reported.

Bangladesh Inspector General of Police Mohammed Ali Hossain Fakir said Monday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was working to transfer the suspects through Bangladesh's extradition treaty with India.

Sharif Osman Hadi, who took part in the 2024 political uprising that ended former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule, was shot Dec. 12 in the capital Dhaka. Days later he was flown to Singapore for further treatment and died there Dec. 18.

Hadi was a student leader and spokesperson of a youth group, Inquilab Mancha, which promoted cultural revolution. His death sparked protests across the country. Furious protesters rallied in Dhaka and attacked the offices of the country's two leading daily newspapers.

Hadi's supporters blamed India and Hasina for killing him. He had fiercely criticized India and Hasina, who fled to India after the mass uprising ended her rule in August 2024. Liberals in Bangladesh blamed Hadi for promoting radical views as he built a strong follower base among young people and Islamists.

Police in Bangladesh previously said they identified the suspects in the killing but they may have fled the country. Indian authorities said the men sheltered in the border area of Bongaon with the intention of crossing back into Bangladesh.