Attack on Hadi: 2 detained for suspected involvement in illegal border crossings

Police have detained two more suspects in connection with the gun attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Mancha and a prospective candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency.

The detainees were identified as Sibion Dio and Sanjay Chisim, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md Nazrul Islam said at a briefing held at the DMP Media Centre today (14 December).

He said that in the course of the investigation, police conducted an operation in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur district and brought two individuals to Dhaka who were allegedly involved in illegally facilitating cross-border movement.

"In addition, the Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] detained another person on suspicion of being the owner of the motorcycle used in the incident and handed him over to us," he added.

Nazrul Islam further said that two key suspects in the shooting, Faisal Karim Masud and Md Alamgir Sheikh, have already been identified.

"The two suspects, wearing helmets, shot Osman Hadi at close range. Raids are underway at various locations to arrest them, and the operations are continuing," he said.

To prevent the suspects from fleeing the country, their passports have been seized and blocked, and additional security measures have been imposed along the border, he added.

The police official also said that the government has announced a reward of Tk50 lakh for information leading to the arrest of the fugitives involved in the attack.

Earlier in the day, RAB detained one person on suspicion, believed to be the registered owner of the motorcycle, and handed him over to the police.

Abdul Hannan, 43, the owner of the motorcycle used in the attack, was handed over to Paltan Police Station, RAB's Legal and Media Wing Director Wing Commander MZM Intekhab Chowdhury confirmed.

The registration number of the motorcycle is Dhaka Metro-L-54-6375.

Sharif Osman Hadi is currently undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka. He has not yet been declared out of danger.

The shooting took place at around 2:24pm on Friday in the Purana Paltan area of the capital. An assailant fired at Osman Hadi from a motorcycle that had been following him from behind while he was travelling in a battery-powered rickshaw.

He was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) emergency department following the attack and taken to the operating theatre at around 3:50pm.

Later, around 7:30pm, after surgery, he was transferred to Evercare Hospital for advanced treatment.

Dr Zahid Raihan, head of the Neurosurgery Department at DMCH, told reporters that Hadi's condition was "extremely critical."

Paltan Police Station, along with RAB, the Detective Branch (DB) and other police units, are conducting investigations and operations to identify and arrest those involved in the attack.