Faisal Denies Involvement in Hadi Murder

Two prime suspects in the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of the Inquilab Mancha, were presented in a local court in West Bengal, India, on Sunday, 22 March. Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Hossain appeared before the Bidhannagar Sub-Division Court in North 24 Parganas after completing a 14-day police remand.

When questioned by reporters about his alleged role in Hadi’s killing, Faisal categorically denied any involvement. “I did not commit this act. I was not engaged in such activities,” he stated. However, he declined to comment when asked whether he believed he had been falsely implicated.

Arrest and Background

Faisal and Alamgir were apprehended on 8 March by the West Bengal Police Special Task Force (STF) in Bongaon, near the Bangladesh border in North 24 Parganas. According to STF sources, the two had crossed the border illegally and were hiding in Bongaon, allegedly waiting for an opportunity to re-enter Bangladesh.

The murder took place against a politically tense backdrop. On 13 December, following the announcement of the 13th National Parliamentary elections and the corresponding voting schedule in Bangladesh, Hadi was shot in the head while travelling in a rickshaw on Box-Calvert Road in Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area. He had been travelling on a moving motorcycle at the time.

Initially, Hadi was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital for treatment. Due to a rapid deterioration in his condition, he was air-ambulanced to Singapore on 15 December. Despite intensive care, he succumbed to his injuries three days later, on 18 December.

Initially, on 14 December, Abdullah Al Zaber, member secretary of the Inquilab Mancha, filed an attempted murder case at Paltan Police Station against Faisal Karim Masud. Following Hadi’s death, the case was escalated to a formal murder charge.

The investigation remains ongoing, and further proceedings in the court are expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the cross-border escape and alleged involvement of the accused.

This case has drawn significant attention in both Bangladesh and West Bengal due to the political profile of the victim and the cross-border nature of the arrests.