Osman Hadi, Dhaka-8 hopeful, received death threats from foreign numbers’

“They said they would set fire to my house. They would rape my mother, sister and wife, and kill me," the Dhaka-8 candidate says

Sharif Osman bin Hadi, the independent candidate for Dhaka-8 and convener of the Inqilab Moncho platform who has been shot, previously said he was receiving death threats.

Hadi was shot in Bijoynagar in Dhaka after Friday prayers. He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

In a Facebook post last November, Hadi wrote that he had been threatened from around 30 foreign phone numbers.

In the post, published late on Nov 13, he blamed the Awami League and wrote: “In the last three hours, Awami League’s killers have made at least 30 calls and sent texts to my number from foreign numbers. The summary is this: I am under constant surveillance. They will set fire to my house. They will rape my mother, sister and wife, and they will kill me.

“On the 17th, the verdict on 'killer [Sheikh] Hasina will come. To repay the blood-debt of 1,400 martyrs, even if not only my house but I myself am burned alive, I will not move an inch from this struggle for justice, God willing.”

Osman Hadi also wrote: “With the killing of one Abrar [Fahad], thousands of Abrars have been born in this country. If one Hadi is killed, Allah will create countless Hadis on this land of Tawhid. This angry voice of freedom can never be silenced. In the battlefield of this struggle I ask my Allah for more courage and strength. From the Lord of the Throne I seek a martyr’s death with a smile.

“I place my family and my beloved comrades under the protective steps of Allah the Almighty. Our struggle will continue until our last breath. Allah is sufficient for me.”

DMP Public Relations Department Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman said: “At 2:25pm, after Friday prayers, attackers on motorcycles shot Hadi and fled.”

He added that the assailants came on three motorcycles.

A friend of Hadi said they had a leaflet distribution programme at the mosque after Friday prayers.

They were to gather at Suhrawardy Udyan for lunch and discussions when the attack occurred.

Inspector-in-charge of Dhaka Medical Police outpost Md Faruk, citing doctors, said: “Osman Hadi was taken to the emergency department with a bullet wound to the head and is now in the ICU.”

Hadi’s team members are looking for “B negative” blood at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

They said he suffered heavy bleeding, and doctors have requested blood donations.

Earlier in the day, at 11:52am, Hadi posted on Facebook: “Since I don’t have any posters or festoons in Dhaka-8, I don’t have any pressure to tear them.”