The rickshaw puller who was transporting Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi at the time he was shot has given his testimony before a court as a key witness in the high-profile murder case.
The witness, Kamal Hossain, driver of the battery-ran auto-rickshaw in which Hadi was travelling, recorded his statement on Thursday. He was produced before the court by Detective Branch (DB) Inspector Faisal Ahmed, the investigating officer of the case.
In his application to the court, the investigating officer described the case as a “sensational murder.” According to the application, Hadi was travelling from Khalil Hotel in Motijheel towards Suhrawardy Udyan when he was shot while riding in the auto-rickshaw driven by Kamal Hossain.
He is a direct eyewitness to the incident and voluntarily expressed his willingness to testify before the court.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamshed Alam recorded the witness’s statement, Inspector Faisal Ahmed confirmed, stating that the testimony was taken in the interest of a fair and proper investigation.
Sharif Osman Hadi emerged as a prominent figure through the July uprising and the movement calling for a ban on the Awami League.
He had recently announced his intention to contest the 13th National Parliamentary Election as an independent candidate from Dhaka-8 constituency.
On 12 December, Hadi was shot in Bijoynagar area while riding in a moving rickshaw during campaign activities, when assailants on a motorcycle opened fire.
The bullet struck him in the head, leaving him critically injured.
Hadi was initially taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he underwent surgery, and was later transferred to Evercare Hospital the same night. Two days later, he was flown to Singapore by air ambulance for advanced treatment. He died there on 18 December while undergoing treatment.
Following the shooting, Inqilab Mancha Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber filed a case for attempted murder on 14 December. After Hadi’s death, the charge was upgraded with the addition of Section 302 of the Penal Code.
So far, 11 individuals have been shown arrested in the case. They include the prime accused Faisal Karim Masud’s parents Humayun Kabir and Hasi Begum, his wife Saheda Parveen Samia, a female friend named Maria Akter Lima, brother-in-law Wahid Ahmed Sipu, rent-a-car businessman Mufti Md Nuruzzaman Nomani alias Ujjal, his associate Md Kabir, and two others – Sibyun Dew and Sanjay Chisim- accused of assisting in an attempted escape to India.
