A Dhaka court on Tuesday postponed the submission of the supplementary investigation report in the murder case of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi for the fifth time, setting a new date of 9 February.
The delay came as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) failed to submit the report. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sefatullah fixed the new date, Prosecution Sub-Inspector Rokonuzzaman confirmed.
The current investigation officer, CID Dhaka Metro (East) Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdur Qadir Bhuiyan, could not place the report before the court.
Earlier, on 6 January, the Detective Branch (DB) police submitted a charge sheet accusing 17 people in the case. However, expressing dissatisfaction with the DB investigation, the complainant and Inqilab Moncho’s Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber filed a naraji (no confidence) petition on 15 January.
Following the petition, the court ordered a further investigation by the CID.
Sharif Osman Hadi, who rose to prominence during the July movement and protests demanding a ban on the Awami League, had announced his intention to contest the upcoming parliamentary election as an independent candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency.
He sustained critical gunshot wounds on 12 December when assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on him during election campaigning in the Bijoynagar area. He was later taken to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he died on 18 December.
In the earlier charge sheet submitted by the DB police, former councillor Bappi and Chhatra League activist Faisal Karim Masud were named among the 17 accused.
The other accused include Md Humayun Kabir (70), Hashi Begum (60), haheda Parvin Samia (24), Wahid Ahmed Shipu (27), Maria Akter Lima (21), Md Kabir (33), Md Nuruzzaman Nomani alias Ujjal (34), Civion Dew (32), accused of assisting an escape to India, Sanjay Chisim (23), Md Aminul Islam Raju (37), and Abdul Hannan Foysal (25), Md Alamgir Hossain alias Alamgir Sheikh (26), Philip Snal (32), Muktij Mahmud (51) and Jasmine Akter (42), who were arrested in connection with the recovery of weapons and ammunition used in the killing.
According to investigators, Hadi was murdered in a planned attack driven by political hostility, jealousy over his political statements and rising popularity, and an attempt to disrupt the election environment and spread fear among voters.
Five accused, including prime suspect Faisal Karim Masud, remain at large.
