A Dhaka court has given the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) five days to submit a supplementary investigation report in the case filed over the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha.
The order was passed on Tuesday after the CID failed to submit the report on the scheduled date and sought additional time. Following a hearing, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam allowed the plea and directed the CID to submit the report by January 25.
Earlier, on January 15, the case’s complainant Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Mancha, filed a petition expressing dissatisfaction with the charge sheet submitted by the Detective Branch (DB). The court accepted the petition and ordered a fresh investigation.
According to the case details, Hadi was shot on December 12 while returning from an election-related outreach programme after Juma prayers in Motijheel. At around 2:20pm, assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on the autorickshaw carrying him near the Box Culvert area under Paltan Model Police Station before fleeing the scene.
Hadi was initially taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital after preliminary surgery. He was flown to Singapore for advanced treatment on December 15, where he died on December 18.
A case was filed at Paltan police station on December 14 over an attempted murder. Following Hadi’s death, it was converted into a murder case.
On January 6, the DB submitted a charge sheet naming 17 people, including former ward councillor Taizul Islam Chowdhury Bappi and Faisal Karim Masud, as accused. Several of the accused, including Faisal Karim Masud, remain absconding.
In the charge sheet, the investigating officer said an analysis of the accused’s political affiliations and Hadi’s public statements suggested that the killing was driven by political motives. It also alleged that the attack was premeditated, aimed at disrupting the upcoming 13th parliamentary election and creating fear among voters.
The court proceedings are ongoing.
