India on Tuesday called in Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah and sought a thorough probe into killing of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi amid sharp downturn in ties between the two countries.
IMAGE: KMen hold placards that read “We all will be Hadi, we will keep fighting” as tens of thousands of people join the funeral prayer for Sharif Osman Hadi, a student leader who died after being shot in the head, at the Parliament building area of Manik Mia Avenue, in Dhaka on December 20, 2025. Photograph: Kazi Salahuddin/Reuters
New Delhi’s move came hours after Indian envoy to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, was summoned to the foreign ministry to lodge a protest against “regrettable incidents” outside the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi.
There have been protests outside the Bangladesh high commission against the recent lynching of a Hindu worker in the strife-torn neighbouring country.
At the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Hamidullah was told that Bangladesh should carry out a proper investigation into the killing of Hadi, people familiar with the matter said.
India’s call for a detailed probe into Hadi’s killing came as unsubstantiated allegations about an Indian hand in his death triggered anti-India sentiment in that country.
There have been protests outside Indian missions in Bangladesh following Hadi’s death.
Last week, a group of angry protesters tried to storm India’s assistant high commission in Chittagong. India subsequently suspended its visa services in the mission.
Following summoning of the Indian envoy, the Bangladesh foreign ministry said it conveyed its “grave concern” to the envoy over “regrettable incidents outside the perimeter of the Bangladesh high commission and residence in New Delhi” on December 20, and acts of vandalism at the Bangladesh visa centre in Siliguri on December 22.
“Bangladesh also expressed deep concern over violent protests staged outside the premises of the different diplomatic missions of Bangladesh in India,” it said.
Bangladesh has witnessed a fresh wave of unrest following the death of Hadi last week. Hadi was a prominent face in the anti-government protests that forced the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government.
Amid the fresh protests, a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was killed in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh.
India last Wednesday too summoned Bangladesh envoy Hamidullah and conveyed its strong concern over certain extremist elements announcing plans to create a security situation around the Indian mission in Dhaka.
India’s action followed after certain extremist elements announced plans to hold protests around the Indian high commission in Dhaka.
In a statement, the MEA had said that India “completely rejects the false narrative” sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh.
“It is unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents,” it had said.
