The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) yesterday said the prime accused in the murder of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, along with an accomplice, fled to India with assistance from two Indian nationals.
DMP has claimed that Meghalaya Police have arrested the two Indian citizens for their role in facilitating the escape.
However, India’s Meghalaya Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) have rejected the claims that the two main suspects in the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi fled to India and that two of their alleged abetters were arrested across the border.
According to the Hindustan Times report, Indian authorities said no evidence has been found to support the claim that the suspects were in India.
Detective Branch (DB) sources told Dhaka Tribune that Bangladesh has an extradition treaty with India and that efforts are underway through both formal and informal channels to bring the suspects back. However, Indian police have yet to locate the two main accused—Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh—delaying the repatriation process. Once their whereabouts are confirmed, the extradition process will begin.
Police said 11 people have been arrested so far in connection with the murder. Of them, six have given confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, while four others have recorded statements as witnesses under the same provision.
Investigators have also recovered two foreign pistols, 52 rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, fake number plates, and cheques worth Tk218 crore linked to 53 bank accounts, according to the DMP.
Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam disclosed the information at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre on Sunday. He said two individuals—Purti and Sami—were arrested for helping Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh flee to India.
Those arrested include Faisal’s father, mother, wife, friend and brother-in-law. Others include rent-a-car businessman Mufti Md Nuruzzaman Nomani alias Ujjal, Faisal’s associate Md Kabir, and two individuals accused of facilitating the escape to India—Sibun Dew and Sanjay Chisim.
Motive behind the killing
Nazrul Islam said arresting the prime accused would provide greater clarity about those who orchestrated the killing. “We have some information, but we will not disclose names at this stage for the sake of the investigation,” he said.
He added that Hadi had become increasingly vocal after August 5, with clear political views and ideological positioning.
“We suspect that those opposed to this ideology, or those who were affected by developments after August 5, may be behind the murder,” he said.
Protests demanding justice
Various organisations, including Inqilab Mancha, along with students and members of the public, continued protests at Shahbagh in Dhaka, demanding justice for Hadi’s murder. As part of a pre-announced road blockade program, demonstrators gathered at Shaheed Osman Hadi Chattar at 2pm on Sunday.
Inqilab Mancha’s Dhaka University spokesperson Fatima Tasnim Jhuma told Dhaka Tribune that the protest would continue until justice is served.
“We no longer have confidence in law enforcement agencies. We will announce our next course of action today,” she said.
How the suspects fled
Nazrul Islam said the killing was premeditated. After the incident, Faisal and Alamgir travelled from Dhaka to Aminbazar in a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, then by car to Kalampur, and later to the Haluaghat border in Mymensingh.
At the border, they were assisted by Philip Pal and Sanjay, who allegedly engage in illegal cross-border movement. Philip later took the two suspects into India’s Meghalaya state.
The additional commissioner said Faisal and Alamgir were taken to Tura in Meghalaya, where they were handed over to an Indian national named Purti. They later fled the area in a vehicle driven by Sami.
Charge sheet within 7–10 days
Nazrul Islam said Meghalaya Police have confirmed, through informal communication, that Purti and Sami have been arrested.
“The investigation is at its final stage, and we expect to submit the charge sheet within the next
seven to ten days,” he said.
Osman Hadi was a prospective candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency.
On December 12, shortly after Jummah prayers, he was shot while riding a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Bijoynagar, Dhaka.
The assailants fled on a motorcycle after shooting him in the head. Hadi was later taken to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he died on December 18.
