TDS Desk:

Political vendetta was the reason behind the murder of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) on Tuesday (6 January) as it submitted the chargesheet in the case against 17 accused.

DB chief and Additional Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam disclosed this during a briefing at the DMP Media Centre regarding the chargesheet submission.

He said, “Through public rallies and social media, Hadi had strongly criticised the past activities of the now-banned Awami League and Chhatra League. Hadi’s outspoken remarks angered leaders and activists of Chhatra League and its affiliated groups.”

The DB chief further said, “The shooter Faisal Karim Masud was directly involved in the politics of the Chhatra League. Another accused, Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi, who helped Faisal and Alamgir Sheikh, another prime suspect, flee after the incident, was the president of Pallabi Thana Jubo League and an AL-nominated councillor of Ward No 6.”

“Considering the political identities of the accused and the victim’s previous political statements, the investigation has revealed that Hadi was shot dead due to political vengeance,” he added.

So far, 12 individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.

According to the case statement, on 12 December last year, at around 2:20pm, miscreants riding a motorcycle shot Hadi in Paltan’s Box Culvert Road area before fleeing the scene. He sustained critical injuries after being shot in the head and below his right ear.

Hadi was initially taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Evercare Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was flown to Singapore by air ambulance on 15 December for advanced treatment. He died while undergoing treatment on 18 December.

Following the incident, Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Mancha, filed an attempted murder case with Paltan Police Station on 14 December. After Hadi’s death, the case was converted into a murder case.