Bangladesh Police on Sunday said they have no “specific information” regarding the whereabouts of the prime suspect in the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
The statement came a day after Hadi’s Inqilab Mancha party issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the interim government on Saturday, demanding “visible progress” in arresting those responsible for the murder.
Speaking at an emergency press conference at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said law enforcement agencies were making active efforts to trace Faisal Karim Masud, who has been identified as the gunman in the shooting, according to the UNB news agency.
“We do not have specific information about Faisal's last location. Our forces and intelligence agencies are working to obtain it,” Islam said, adding that there was no credible information indicating the suspect had fled the country.
He cautioned that criminals often spread rumours about their movements and said investigators had not yet found any concrete evidence linking a political party to the killing. “However, efforts are underway to gather accurate data,” he said.
Detective Branch (DB) chief Shafiqul Islam said that prima facie the murder appeared to be politically motivated, as there was no indication of a personal motive. However, he added, “We are examining all possible angles.” Hadi, a key figure in the student-led protests last year that resulted in the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was also a candidate in the February 12 general elections.
The 32-year-old Inqilab Mancha spokesperson was shot in the head by masked assailants during an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area on December 12. He later died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on Thursday.
Hadi’s death sparked violence and vandalism in several parts of Bangladesh, including stone-pelting at the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram on Thursday.
He was laid to rest on Saturday amid tight security beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University mosque.