DMP clarifies claim over detention of Hadi murder accomplices in Meghalaya amid Indian denial
Both the Meghalaya Police and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) denied the DMP’s claim that two men directly involved in the murder had fled to India
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Sunday (28 December) issued a clarification regarding information shared at an earlier press briefing about the alleged detention of two individuals in India in connection with the murder of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.
In a press release signed by DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Md Talebur Rahman, the police said they have arrested several individuals who assisted the main suspects, Faisal Karim Masud and Md Alamgir Sheikh, in fleeing Bangladesh after the killing of Hadi.
According to the DMP, the information that the suspects crossed the border into India was based on confessional statements obtained from those arrested.
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The release further stated that multiple sources in border areas informed the DMP that two individuals who allegedly helped the suspects enter India and find shelter there were detained by the Meghalaya authorities.
"Based on this information, we shared the news of their detention," the statement said.
The DMP expressed hope that the Indian government would extend full cooperation in arresting all those involved in the murder and facilitating their return to Bangladesh.
However, earlier in the day, both the Meghalaya Police and India's Border Security Force (BSF) denied the DMP's claim that two men directly involved in the murder had fled to India.
A senior official at the Meghalaya Police headquarters reportedly told the Hindustan Times (HT) that they have received "no formal or informal communication" from Bangladesh regarding the matter.
According to the report, the official further clarified over the phone that none of the accused named in the reports have been traced in the Garo Hills, and no arrests have been made.
Additionally, Inspector General OP Upadhayay of the Border Security Force (BSF) of the Meghalaya Frontier rejected the claims, describing them as "baseless and misleading."
He stated that there is no evidence of the suspects crossing the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya.
The denials follow the press briefing where DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md Nazrul Islam asserted that the two main suspects, Faisal Karim Masud and Md Alamgir Sheikh, had escaped to India.
The DMP officer provided a detailed timeline, claiming the duo travelled from Dhaka to Haluaghat in Mymensingh before crossing the border with the help of intermediaries.
He added that police expect to submit a charge sheet within the next seven to 10 days in the murder case of Sharif Osman Hadi.
Earlier, on 12 December, Hadi was critically injured after he was shot in the head in broad daylight in Dhaka's Purana Paltan area.
He was later taken to a hospital in Singapore for advanced treatment, where he died on 18 December.
Hadi's funeral was held 20 December at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad, with hundreds of thousands of people in attendance.
Since his death, supporters and activists of Inqilab Mancha have been holding protests across the country, demanding the swift arrest of those responsible and accountability for alleged negligence by law enforcement agencies.
