Dhaka | Two primary suspects in the murder of Inquilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi have fled Bangladesh and are believed to be currently in India, a top Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer said Sunday.
Hadi, 32, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment but died of his injuries on December 18.
“The suspects, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, crossed into the Indian state of Meghalaya with the help of local associates,” Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) S N Md Nazrul Islam told a press conference at the DMP Media Centre.
“According to our information, the suspects entered India via the Haluaghat border. After crossing, they were initially received by an individual named Purti. Later, a taxi driver named Sami transported them to Tura city in Meghalaya,” The Daily Star said, quoting Islam.
He added that the police have received informal reports suggesting that the two individuals who assisted the fugitives, Purti and Sami, have since been detained by authorities in India.
The DMP officer said the Bangladesh government is actively working to bring the suspects back. “We are maintaining communication with Indian authorities through both formal and informal channels to ensure their arrest and extradition,” he added.
The DMP officer did not, however, mention when the two escaped to India.
There is no reaction by Indian officials as yet to DMP's claim about the two suspects fleeing to Meghalaya, India.
Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, was a prominent youth leader during the July-August 2024 mass street protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government last year.
He was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 12 elections.
State-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) added that Islam said the investigation into Hadi's murder is “nearing completion” and “the charge sheet is expected to be submitted within the next seven to ten days.”
So far, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the killing, six of whom have given confessional statements before the court under Section 164 of the CrPC, he added.
Police also said the murder was premeditated.
Earlier, DMP Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali while speaking at a sit-in programme organised by Inqilab Moncho at Shahbagh on Saturday, described Hadi's killing as a “mysterious” incident and said there are indications that multiple individuals were involved in the crime, the BSS said in another report.
According to him, the government has assigned all law enforcement agencies, including police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), to uncover the masterminds behind the crime.
Police have also recovered two pistols allegedly used in the murder, and those are currently being kept at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for scientific examination.
The motorcycle used in the attack has been recovered by the Detective Branch (DB) police, the BSS added.
He further revealed that a huge amount of money was spent in carrying out the murder, and a cheque signed for Tk 218 crore has been seized during the investigation.