How did criminal Faisal get into Hadi’s campaign team?

Questions have arisen over how Faisal Karim Masud, also known as Daud Khan — a listed criminal, accused in weapons and mugging cases, a known armed extortionist in the Adabor area, and a Chhatra League office-bearer of Adabor police station area — became associated with Osman Hadi's election campaign team.

Faisal has been identified as the prime suspect in the shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi, the spokesperson of Inquilab Mancho and an aspiring independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the upcoming national election.

Fact-checking organisation The Dissent said that after analysing CCTV footage from 9 December collected from Inquilab Cultural Centre, CCTV footage of the 12 December attack obtained by police, media-published photographs, and more than 50 images posted on Facebook and Instagram accounts under the name Faisal Karim Masud, as well as on various pro-Awami League pages and personal profiles, they found a match between the face of the shooter and that of Faisal Karim Masud alias Daud Khan.

According to them, the images also match photographs of Faisal Karim Masud, a leader of the banned Chhatra League under Adabor police station in the capital.

When contacted, DMP Prosecution Division Deputy Commissioner Mia Mohammad Ashis Bin Hasan told The Business Standard that two cases were filed against the accused Daud Khan at Adabor police station. A weapons case is currently at the witness testimony stage, while a Tk17 lakh mugging case has been transferred to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court. The accused is currently out on bail in both cases.

In response to questions about how a known criminal and prime accused in robbery and weapons cases could join Osman Hadi's campaign activities, Inquilab Mancho leader and Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Liberation War and Democratic Movement Affairs Secretary Fatima Tasnim Juma told The Business Standard, "He joined Hadi bhai's public outreach programme as a random participant on 5 December in front of the ACC. Then on 9 December, he came to our Inquilab Cultural Centre at Banglamotor — that's the photo you are seeing now. After that, he joined another public outreach event. He was also present on 12 December."

She added, "Many interested youths have randomly joined us like this. We did not conduct detailed background checks on everyone, which is why we could not fully understand his background."

She also stated that Faisal did not hold any post, designation, or responsibility within Inquilab Mancho.

A trail of criminal activity

On 28 October 2024, Faisal allegedly held businessman Md Saiful Islam hostage at gunpoint, assaulted him, and snatched Tk17 lakh. Following the incident, Saiful Islam filed a case with the Adabor police station on 1 November that year.

On 11 November 2024, Faisal was arrested from the capital's Adabor. Two foreign pistols along with bullets and magazines, were recovered from his possession. In this incident, RAB-2 Havildar Md Mashiur Rahman filed a case under the Arms Act with Adabor police station.

Faisal was granted bail by the High Court on 16 February this year and was subsequently released from jail.

Following the investigation, Adabor police sub-inspector Md Zahid Hasan submitted a charge sheet in the arms case on 28 February. The investigation found that Faisal is a known armed criminal in the Adabar area, involved in extortion and identified as a key figure in the drug trade. For a long time, he has led organised criminal activities, including extortion, land grabbing, and other forms of violent crime.

The trial in the arms case against Faisal is currently ongoing at the 18th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka. The date for witness testimony was fixed for 17 November, when the accused appeared in court, but witnesses were absent. The court has now set 29 January as the next date for recording testimony.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi told The Business Standard that if it is proven that Faisal, an accused in two Adabor police station cases, attempted to murder Osman Hadi by shooting him, the court may cancel his bail.

On 12 December, miscreants shot Sharif Osman Hadi in the head in the capital's Bijoynagar area. After undergoing surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, he is currently receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital in the capital.

The government has announced a reward of Tk50 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Faisal Karim Masud alias Daud Khan in connection with the attempted murder of Osman Hadi.