Hadi murder: Dhaka seeks consular access to suspects held in India

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam on Monday said Bangladesh has sought consular access following the arrest of the prime accused and an associate in the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi by the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police in India.

She said further steps would be taken following due process once Bangladesh receives feedback from the Indian side.

“We came to know they have been placed on a 14-day remand. Our Deputy High Commission in Kolkata is in contact with the authorities, and we have sought consular access,” she told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She said Bangladesh is still gathering detailed information about the arrests.

“The information we have so far is not sufficient. We will proceed once we receive adequate details. Since the incident has just occurred, we need to wait,” she said. “We hope India will help us in this regard.”

Based on information provided by Bangladesh’s strategic intelligence agencies, the accused in the murder of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Osman Hadi, Rahul alias Faisal Karim Masud, 37, a resident of Patuakhali, and Alamgir Hossain, 34, a resident of Dhaka, were arrested in the Bongaon area of West Bengal.

According to various sources, Indian authorities have recently taken a tougher stance against individuals accused of terrorism who fled Bangladesh, particularly following the recent visit of a senior official of Bangladesh’s defence intelligence to India.

Reports suggest that the suspects had been moving between various locations in India after entering the country following the killing.

They were allegedly attempting to take shelter near the Bongaon border area with the intention of returning to Bangladesh.

Acting on intelligence shared by Bangladesh, Indian authorities conducted an operation and arrested the two Bangladeshis on the intervening night of 7–8 March.

Investigators said the suspects had fled Bangladesh after killing political activist Osman Hadi.

They reportedly entered India illegally through the Meghalaya border and travelled to several locations before arriving in Bongaon in West Bengal, allegedly planning to cross back into Bangladesh.

A case has been registered in this connection.

The suspects were produced before the relevant court on Monday and were remanded to police custody.