Staff Reporter:
A Dhaka court directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police to carry out further investigation into the sensational murder of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the order following a no-confidence (naraji) petition filed against the charge sheet submitted by the Detective Branch (DB) of police in the case.
The court also ordered the submission of the probe report by Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Prosecution) Miah Mohammad Ashis Bin Hasan said.
Earlier in the day, Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Moncho and plaintiff of the case, filed the no-confidence petition before the court.
Plaintiff’s lawyer Mostafizur Rahman Mukul said the investigating officer of the case submitted the charge sheet merely to fulfil procedural obligations, without clearly establishing the link between the masterminds behind the murder and the shooters who carried it out.
Earlier, on 6 January, DB Inspector Faisal Ahmed – the IO – submitted the charge sheet against 17 individuals in the case.
On Monday, the plaintiff appeared before the court and sought time to review the charge sheet and the court deferred until Thursday the hearing on the acceptance of the charge sheet.
The charge-sheeted accused are Md Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi, Faisal Karim Masud alias Rahul alias Daud, his father Md Humayun Kabir, mother Hashi Begum, wife Saheda Parvin Samia, brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Shipu, friend Maria Akhter Lima, Md Alamgir Hossain alias Alamgir Sheikh, Md Kabir, Md Nuruzzaman Nomani alias Ujjal, Sibiun Dew, Sanjay Chisim, Md Aminul Islam alias Raju, Md Faisal, Philip Snal, Mukti Mahmud, and Jesmin Akhter.
Of them, Bappi, former councillor of the Dhaka North City Corporation, was described as the mastermind of the killing.
Among the accused, 11 are now in jail, while six, including alleged shooter Faisal, are at large.
Meanwhile, Jaber accused state agencies of extreme negligence and non-cooperation in the investigation.
Speaking at a press conference in front of Madhur Canteen on the Dhaka University campus on Thursday, he claimed that they acted in a disorganised manner before and after the incident.
“On the night of the murder, an intelligence agency contacted us around midnight and asked for assistance in identifying the crime scene. They also requested us to collect CCTV footage,” he said, adding that such conduct by state agencies appeared “mysterious and highly questionable”.
He further alleged that despite being the plaintiff in the case, they have yet to receive a copy of the case file from the police.
Jaber also criticised contradictory official statements regarding the whereabouts of the prime suspect – Faisal.
Terming the charge sheet “weak and vague”, he said it failed to name the main planners behind the murder. “The investigation ignored the fact that an organised killing gang carried out this murder. We have information that a 21-member team was involved,” he said.
He also questioned the official claim that Hadi was killed in a moment of anger for speaking against the Awami League.
The Inqilab Moncho member secretary demanded that those involved in the killing must be brought to justice.
He announced fresh protest programmes across the country, including a sit-in at Shahbagh today.
