United News of Bangladesh

Md Rubel Ahmed, a close associate of Faisal Karim Masud alias Rahul—the prime accused in the murder of Inqilab Moncho spokesman Sharif Osman Hadi—has given a confessional statement in court. Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman recorded the statement after Rubel was produced before the court on Saturday by the investigation officer, CID Police Assistant Superintendent Abdul Qadir Bhuiyan, following two rounds of remand totaling nine days, Prosecution Sub-Inspector Rokonuzzaman said on Sunday. “He was sent to jail after recording the statement,” the official added. Read More: Hadi murder: Court orders freezing of 53 bank accounts of Faisal Rubel was arrested from the Ati Nayabazar area of South Keraniganj late on January 21. The following day, the court granted a six-day remand, and last Wednesday, an additional three days were approved. Sharif Osman Bin Hadi had been serving as the spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho, a political and cultural platform formed in the aftermath of the uprising. On December 12, around 2:20pm, assailants riding a motorcycle shot Hadi on Box Culvert Road under Paltan Model Police Station before fleeing the scene. He sustained critical gunshot wounds to his head and below his right ear. Read More: Hadi Murder: Court sets Jan 15 for hearing charges Hadi was first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Evercare Hospital. As his condition worsened, he was airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment on December 15. He succumbed to his injuries on December 18 while undergoing treatment there. Following the incident, Inqilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber filed an attempted murder case with Paltan Police Station on December 14. The case was later converted into a murder case after Hadi’s death.

Inqilab Moncho on Friday staged a demonstration demanding justice for its slain spokesperson, Sharif Osman bin Hadi, with a large number of protesters in attendance. The protesters organized a procession from the central mosque premises of Dhaka University after Jumma prayers. During the demonstration, they chanted slogans including: “We want justice,” Lal sobujer potakay, Hadi tomay dekha jay, Amra sobai Hadi hobo, Juge juge lore jabo, Tumi ke, Ami ke, Hadi, Hadi, and Delhi na Dhaka, Dhaka, Dhaka. Earlier, on Thursday, a Dhaka court directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to carry out further investigation into Sharif Osman Hadi’s murder case. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the order after the complainant expressed dissatisfaction with the initial investigation and submitted a naraji petition (a no-confidence motion) against the charge sheet, requesting a further probe. The court also ordered the submission of the investigation report by January 20,  said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner of Prosecution Miah Mohammad Ashis Bin Hasan. Osman Hadi, who was also a prospective candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency, was shot in the head on December 12 while traveling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Puratan Paltan. He was later airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries on the night of December 18.

A Dhaka court on Wednesday asked the authorities concerned to freeze Tk 65,50,246 from 53 bank accounts of Faisal Karim Masud, the prime accused in Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Hadi murder case. Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Sabbir Foyez passed the order following a petition filed by Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said bench assistant of the court Riaz Hossain. Abdul Latif, sub-inspector of CID filed the petition, According to the petition, a money laundering investigation is underway against fugitive accused Faisal and other people for involvement in the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi. During the investigation, suspicious transactions have been identified in the accounts of accused Faisal and various institutions and individuals associated. MP murder mastermind Shahin kept Faisal and Mustafiz in a Dhaka flat before sending to Kolkata: DB chief Besides, preliminary probe indicates that Faisal, some other people and organisations are involved in murder, terrorism, funding of terrorist activities and organised crime—acts which fall under offenses defined in the Anti-Money Laundering Act. DB police submitted the chargesheet against 17 people including Faisal and former Ward Councillor Taijul Islam Chowdhury on Tuesday. Among the accused, 11 were arrested. The arrestees are-Faisal’s father Humayun Kabir, mother Hashi Begum, wife Shaheda Parveen Samia, friend Maria Akter Lima,Faisal’s brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Sipu, Md Nuruzzaman Nomani alias Ujjal, a businessman, Faisal’s associate Md Kabir, Sibyoun Diu, Sanjay Chisim, Faisal’s brother-in-law Aminul Islam and Foysal.    

Inqilab Moncho on Sunday night announced a four-point demand seeking justice for its slain spokesperson Shaheed Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. The demands were announced through a post on the organization’s official Facebook page. The four-point demands are as follows: All those involved in the killing—including the perpetrator, the planner, aides to the murder, those who assisted in the escape, and those who provided shelter—must be brought to justice within the next 24 days. Work permits of all Indian nationals residing in Bangladesh must be cancelled. If India refuses to repatriate the accused murderers who have taken refuge there, a case should be filed against India at the International Court of Justice. Fascist elements allegedly hiding within the Civil Military Intelligence must be identified, arrested, and brought to justice. In a separate Facebook post, Inqilab Moncho also called upon students and public to participate in a blockade scheduled for Monday at 2pm in the capital's Shahbagh, now renamed Hadi Square in memory of the slain spokesperson.

Indian police have arrested two people in Meghalaya for receiving prime suspect Faisla Karim Masud and his accomplice in the sensational murder of Sharif Osman bin Hadi from the Bangladesh border area of the state. The arrestees were identified as Putti and Sami. “Through informal communication with Meghalaya Police, we learned that Putti and Sami have already been arrested,” SN Md Nazrul Islam, additional commissioner (crime and operations) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), disclosed this at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Sunday. In Haluaghat of Mymensingh district, the accused identified as Philip and Sanjay received Faisal and Alamgir and helped them cross into India’s Meghalaya state. They were later handed over to Putti, who passed them to taxi driver Sami, who took them to Tura town, he said, adding that they unearthed how and who helped the accused flee to India. Law enforcement agencies, including DMP, Detective Branch (DB), Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) began working jointly to identify and arrest those involved following the ‘heinous’ incident, Nazrul said. Using information from witnesses present at the scene, CCTV footage analysis, open-source intelligence and information technology, police identified the shooter as Faisal, alias Rahul, and his accomplice, motorcycle rider Md Alamgir Sheikh, on the day of the incident. Hadi Murder: Charge sheet likely within 10 days The law enforcers immediately conducted raids in Savar, Hemayetpur, Agargaon and Narsingdi to arrest the suspects. As part of the continued operation, a DMP team pursued the suspects up to the border areas of Haluaghat in Mymensingh. Nazrul said efforts are ongoing to bring all those involved to justice. The case has already been handed over to the DMP DB for intensive investigation. The charge sheet of the case will be submitted within the next seven to eight. “So far, we have arrested 11 people, including the two main masterminds involved in planning the incident, those who helped hide the weapons used, and individuals who assisted the accused in fleeing,” he said. The arrestees include Humayun Kabir, father of Faisal; Hasi Begum, his mother; Shahida Parvin Samia, his wife; Wahid Ahmed Shipu, his brother-in-law; Maria Akter Lima, his friend; Mohammad Kabir Nuruzzaman Nomaniya alias Ujjwal; Sibion Dio Sanjay Chisi; Md Aminul Islam Raju; and Abdul Mannan. Meanwhile, six of the arrestees have made confessional statements before the court, he said. Police recovered two foreign-made pistols used in the killing, 52 rounds of ammunition, magazines, the motorcycle used in the crime along with a fake number plate, the autorickshaw that was carrying Hadi at the time of the incident, spent bullet casings, CCTV footage and other evidence. Besides, he said, investigators also seized signed cheques worth Tk 218 crore linked to 53 bank accounts. Charge sheet in Hadi murder case by Jan 7: DMP chief According to the investigation, Faisal and Alamgir fled Dhaka immediately after the incident, first travelling by CNG-run autorickshaw to Aminbazar, then to Kalampur in Manikganj, before reaching Haluaghat by private car as per a pre-planned route. Nazrul said the killing was premeditated, enabling the suspects to cross the border before they could be intercepted. On December 12, assailants shot Hadi in the head during an election campaign event. After receiving initial treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Evercare Hospital, he was airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical care on December 15. Hadi died there on December 18 at around 9:45 pm (local time). The following day, his body was brought back from Singapore and his namaz-e-janaza was held at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, with thousands of people in attendance. A case has been filed with Paltan Police Station in connection with the killing.