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 senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) officer said Sunday, news agency PTI reported.
Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) S N Md Nazrul Islam, addressing a press conference at the DMP Media Centre, said the suspects crossed into Meghalaya with the help of local associates.
Hadi, 32, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore for treatment but died of his injuries on December 18.
“According to our information, the suspects, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, 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 quoted him as saying.
Prothom Alo reported that two Indian nationals helped the suspects escape and that the Meghalaya Police has arrested the two individuals, identified as Purti and Sami.
Nazrul Islam said that police have received informal reports suggesting that the two individuals who assisted the fugitives have since been detained by Indian authorities.
The Meghalaya DGP told The Indian Exppress said that there was no communication on this matter and that the state police had made no arrests.
“The Bangladesh government is actively working to bring the suspects back,” Nazrul Islam said. “We are maintaining communication with Indian authorities through both formal and informal channels to ensure their arrest and extradition.”
The DMP officer did not specify when the suspects fled Bangladesh.
State-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) reported that the investigation into Hadi’s murder is nearing completion and that the charge sheet is expected to be submitted within seven to ten days.
Nazrul Islam said that 11 people have been arrested so far in connection with the killing. Of them, six have given confessional statements before the court under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, he added.
Police said the murder was premeditated.
Earlier, DMP Commissioner S M Sazzat Ali, speaking at a sit-in programme organised by Inquilab Moncho at Shahbagh Saturday, described the killing as a “mysterious” incident and said there were indications that multiple individuals were involved, BSS reported.
According to him, the government has tasked all law enforcement agencies, including the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), with identifying those behind the killing.
Police have recovered two pistols allegedly used in the murder, which are currently with the Criminal Investigation Department for examination. The motorcycle used in the attack has also been recovered by the Detective Branch.
Nazrul Islam said investigators seized a cheque signed for Tk 218 crore during the probe, adding that a large amount of money was spent on carrying out the murder.