New information on motorcycle ownership emerges during Kabir’s remand hearing

Police have arrested Md Abdul Hannan, claiming he is the owner of the motorcycle used in the attempted murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, and have placed him on remand through a court order.

During the remand hearing on Sunday, Hannan told the court that after his arrest he had asked RAB to take him to the showroom (sales outlet), saying that doing so would reveal the truth.

He said he later disclosed the same thing to police, but neither listened to him.

Denying ownership of the motorcycle, Hannan told the court that he had purchased the motorcycle from the showroom on Mirpur Mazar Road but was unable to ride it due to a problem with his hand.

Eventually, he sold the motorcycle back to the same showroom. He said the showroom had called him two months ago regarding a transfer of ownership, but he could not go due to illness.

During the remand hearing on Tuesday of Md Kabir, who has been arrested in the same case, new information regarding the ownership of the motorcycle emerged. Police say Kabir is a close associate of Faisal Karim Masud, the prime suspect in the shooting of Osman Hadi. RAB had earlier said that Kabir was arrested from a brick kiln in Narayanganj on Monday night and that on 5 December he had gone with Faisal Karim to Osman Hadi’s Inqilab Cultural Centre in Banglamotor to observe the situation there.

In the afternoon, the investigating officer of the case, Inspector Faisal Ahmed of the Motijheel zonal team of the Detective Branch (DB), produced Kabir before the court and sought a 10-day remand. He told the court that a review of CCTV footage showed Kabir, Faisal, and other accused visiting Osman Hadi’s cultural centre. He also stated that Kabir is the owner of the motorcycle sold by Hannan.

During the hearing, state prosecutor Md Kaiyum Hossain said Kabir is the joint convener of Ward No. 1 of the Awami Swechchhasebak League under Adabar police station in Dhaka. He said Osman Hadi was shot after the attackers arrived on a motorcycle and that Hadi’s life remains in danger. The prime suspect Faisal, along with Kabir, had gone to Hadi earlier. After photos of Kabir circulated, he went into hiding. The prosecutor said Kabir is the owner of the motorcycle and that a 10-day remand is necessary to determine who else was involved in the attempted murder.

Kabir was represented by no lawyer during the hearing. Addressing Kabir, the judge asked, “Do you have anything to say?” Kabir replied, “Sir, I used to drive his (Faisal Karim’s) vehicle (motorcycle trips) and work as a Pathao rider until 18 days ago. Whenever he called, I would go and take him to different places. Eighteen days ago, Faisal told me that he does business with Hadi and works on his election campaign, and that he would go to meet him. I did not want to go, but he took me anyway. That is my crime, sir.”

At this point, the judge asked who owns the motorcycle. Kabir replied, “The motorcycle belongs to a friend of mine. I went to buy a motorcycle, and he also went to buy one. He purchased the motorcycle using my ID (national identity card).” When the judge asked for the name, Kabir said, “Sir, Mainuddin Islam Shubho.”

The state prosecutor then said the motorcycle was used to shoot Osman Hadi.

After the hearing, the judge granted a seven-day remand for Kabir.

Osman Hadi, convener of Inqilab Moncho, was campaigning as an independent candidate in the Dhaka-8 constituency. Last Friday, while returning from campaign activities in the Motijheel area, miscreants shot him from a motorcycle on Box Culvert Road in Purana Paltan. Shot in the head, Osman Hadi remains in critical condition and was taken to Singapore by air ambulance yesterday.

Md Kabir, a close associate of Faisal Karim—the prime suspect in the shooting of Osman Hadi—was arrested by RAB late Sunday night from a tin-roofed room of a brick kiln in the Baktabali area of Narayanganj Sadar upazila. He was handed over to police on Monday night. At the time, RAB said Kabir is the joint convener of a ward unit of the Awami Swechchhasebak League under Adabar police station in the capital. He lives in the Nobodoy Housing Society in Adabar and is from Baro Bighai village under Sadar police station in Patuakhali district. Faisal Karim is also from Patuakhali.

RAB Legal and Media Wing Director Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury told Prothom Alo on Monday night that Kabir had gone with Faisal Karim to Osman Hadi’s Inqilab Cultural Centre in Banglamotor on 5 December. Initially, Kabir denied it, but CCTV footage showed his presence there. After being shown the footage, Kabir admitted that he and Faisal Karim had gone to the institution that day to observe it.