Plaintiff files no-confidence petition challenging DB chargesheet in Osman Hadi murder case

A ‘no-confidence (naraji)’ petition was filed on Thursday challenging the chargesheet submitted by the Detective Branch (DB) of police in connection with the murder of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.

The petition was filed by Inqilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber before the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam.

Confirming the development, plaintiff’s lawyer Mostafizur Rahman Mukul said the investigating officer had submitted the chargesheet merely to meet procedural requirements, without clearly establishing links between the alleged masterminds of the killing and the shooters who carried it out.

Earlier, on 6 January, DB Police Inspector Faisal Ahmed, the investigating officer of the case, submitted a chargesheet against 17 accused.

On 12 January, the plaintiff appeared before the court and sought time until Thursday to review the chargesheet. The court fixed the date for hearing on the chargesheet accordingly.

The charge-sheeted accused are Faisal Karim Masud, alias Rahul alias Daud, 37; his father Md Humayun Kabir, 70; mother Hashi Begum, 60; wife Saheda Parvin Samia, 24; brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Shipu, 27; friend Maria Akhter Lima, 21; Md Kabir, 33; Md Nuruzzaman Nomani alias Ujjal, 34; Sibiun Dew, 32; Sanjay Chisim, 23; Md Aminul Islam alias Raju, 37; Md Faisal, 25; Md Alamgir Hossain alias Alamgir Sheikh, 26; Md Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi; Philip Snal, 32; Mukti Mahmud, 51; and Jesmin Akhter, 42.

Of them, 11 have been arrested and are currently in jail, while six accused — including alleged shooter Faisal — remain at large.

Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho and a prospective independent candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency, was shot and critically injured on Box Culvert Road under Paltan Model Police Station on 12 December.

CCTV footage later showed that while Hadi and an associate were travelling in a battery-operated auto-rickshaw, two unidentified assailants arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire on him with the intent to kill.

Hadi was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he underwent surgery, and was later transferred to Evercare Hospital. On 15 December, he was flown to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he later died.

On 14 December, Abdullah Al Jaber filed an attempted murder case with Paltan Model Police Station, which was later converted into a murder case following Hadi’s death.

According to the chargesheet, investigators preliminarily concluded that Hadi was killed due to political vengeance. It also states that accused Faisal Karim Masud and his associates deliberately infiltrated Hadi’s election campaign as part of a premeditated plan to disrupt the upcoming 13th parliamentary election and create fear among voters.