Osman Hadi shooting: Associate of prime suspect Faisal Karim arrested
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested an associate of Faisal Karim Masud, the prime suspect in the attack on Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, convener of Inqilab Moncho and a possible candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency.
The arrested man has been identified as Md Kabir. According to RAB, Kabir had visited the Inqilab Cultural Centre in Banglamotor area of Dhaka, founded by Hadi, with Masud a few days before the incident.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Monday night, Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director of RAB’s Legal and Media Wing, said Kabir was arrested from Narayanganj the previous night. He added that Kabir was being handed over to Paltan police today (Monday).
The day after the national election schedule was announced, miscreants shot Osman Hadi from a moving motorcycle while he was travelling in a rickshaw on Box Culvert Road in the capital’s Purana Paltan area.
Osman Hadi was campaigning to contest the Dhaka-8 constituency as an independent candidate. Shot in the head, Hadi remains in critical condition and was flown to Singapore on Monday for advanced treatment.
Investigating police officials believe, based on analysis of nearby CCTV footage, that Faisal Karim fired the shots while sitting on the back of the motorcycle. Police have yet to arrest Faisal Karim.
However, a total of six people including Faisal’s wife Parvin Samia, brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Shipu, and friend Maria Akter Lima have been arrested so far. Kabir’s arrest adds another name to the list.
According to RAB, Kabir’s home is in Baro Bighai village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila. Faisal Karim is also from Patuakhali.
Wing Commander Intekhab Chowdhury told Prothom Alo that Kabir had gone to the Inqilab Cultural Centre in Banglamotor with Faisal Karim on 5 December.
Kabir initially denied it, but CCTV footage showed him there. After being shown the footage, Kabir admitted that he and Faisal Karim had gone to see the premises that day.
RAB said Kabir is the joint convener of a ward-level unit of the Awami League–affiliated Swechchhasebak League in Adabar police station area and resides in the Nabodoy Housing Society in Adabar.
Lieutenant Commander Md Naim Ul Haque, company commander of RAB-11, told Prothom Alo that after the attack on Osman Hadi, Kabir went into hiding in a thatched shed of a brick kiln in the Bhaktabali area of Narayanganj Sadar upazila.
Evidence has been found linking him to various criminal activities, including extortion and tender manipulation.