Two Key Suspects in Osman Hadi Murder Escaped to India via Meghalaya Border: Dhaka Police

International

oi-Ashish Rana

Bangladesh
police
have
said
that
two
prime
suspects
in
the
killing
of
student
leader
and
election
candidate
Sharif
Osman
Hadi
fled
the
country
shortly
after
the
shooting,
crossing
into
India
through
the
Haluaghat
border
in
Mymensingh
and
entering
Meghalaya.

The
development
comes
as
authorities
continue
to
probe
the
murder
that
triggered
widespread
unrest
across
Bangladesh.

According
to
Dhaka
Metropolitan
Police
(DMP),
the
suspects
managed
to
leave
Bangladesh
with
local
assistance
and
are
believed
to
be
hiding
in
India.
The
case
has
remained
politically
sensitive
due
to
Hadi’s
role
in
opposition
mobilisation
and
the
scale
of
protests
that
followed
his
death.

Suspects
crossed
into
India
via
Haluaghat
border

Speaking
at
a
press
conference
at
the
DMP
media
centre,
additional
commissioner
SN
Nazrul
Islam
said
the
two
suspects,
Faisal
Karim
Masud
and
Alamgir
Sheikh,
escaped
through
the
Haluaghat
border
area
before
travelling
onward
to
Meghalaya.

“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
official
said,
as
quoted
by
The
Daily
Star.

Police
said
the
escape
was
facilitated
by
local
contacts
on
both
sides
of
the
border,
allowing
the
suspects
to
move
quickly
out
of
Bangladesh
after
the
attack.

Indian
links
under
probe,
two
helpers
detained

Nazrul
Islam
said
Bangladeshi
authorities
are
coordinating
with
Indian
agencies
to
trace
the
suspects
and
take
further
legal
action.
He
confirmed
that
two
individuals
accused
of
helping
the
suspects
enter
Meghalaya
have
already
been
detained
in
India.

“We
are
maintaining
communication
with
Indian
authorities
through
both
formal
and
informal
channels
to
ensure
their
arrest
and
extradition,” Nazrul
said.

Investigators
are
now
focusing
on
identifying
the
full
network
that
assisted
the
suspects,
including
those
who
arranged
transport
and
shelter
after
the
border
crossing.

Shooting
triggered
unrest
across
Bangladesh

Sharif
Osman
Hadi
was
shot
in
the
head
on
December
12
while
campaigning
in
the
Bijoynagar
area
of
central
Dhaka.
He
was
later
flown
to
Singapore
for
advanced
medical
treatment
but
succumbed
to
his
injuries
on
December
18.

His
death
sparked
large-scale
protests
and
violence
across
several
parts
of
Bangladesh,
with
demonstrators
demanding
swift
arrests
and
accountability.
Security
was
tightened
in
multiple
cities
as
tensions
escalated
following
the
killing.

Who
was
Osman
Hadi?

Osman
Hadi
was
a
prominent
member
of
the
anti-Sheikh
Hasina
platform
Inqilab
Manch
and
was
contesting
the
upcoming
February
elections
as
an
independent
candidate
from
the
Dhaka-8
constituency.

Inqilab
Manch
had
gained
national
attention
during
the
July
uprising
last
year,
which
ultimately
led
to
the
removal
of
Sheikh
Hasina
from
power.
Following
Hadi’s
killing,
the
group
warned
the
interim
government
of
intensified
agitation
if
justice
was
delayed,
adding
to
the
political
pressure
surrounding
the
case.