A court in Dhaka on Wednesday granted a three-day remand for arms trader Md Mazedul Haque Helal in connection with the murder of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the order after hearing a remand petition filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The CID had sought a seven-day remand, saying custodial interrogation was necessary to trace the supply chain of the firearm used in the killing and to identify those involved in its circulation.
State counsel Advocate Harunur Rashid supported the plea, arguing that the case is one of the most significant and widely discussed in recent times and that the accused operated an illegal arms business.
He told the court that the weapon used in the killing was allegedly sold through the accused and that further questioning was required to determine how it reached the attackers.
No defence lawyer appeared during the hearing. When asked by the court, the accused declined to make any statement.
Earlier, CID arrested Helal from Chattogram, identifying him as the alleged seller of the firearm used in the killing.
According to the CID’s remand petition, the weapon was recovered from Narsingdi in connection with a separate arms case.
Forensic examination confirmed that bullets recovered from the crime scene were fired from the same firearm.
Micro-analysis further helped identify the weapon’s serial number.
Investigators said the pistol was imported by MH Arms Co. in Dhaka and later sold to Islam Uddin Ahmed & Sons of Chawkbazar in 3 December, 2017. It was subsequently transferred in February 2018 to Hamidul Haque Arms & Co. in Chattogram, owned by the accused Helal.
Although the arms licence was originally issued in the name of Helal’s father and later transferred to him, it had allegedly not been renewed after 31 December, 2014, yet the weapon was still sold without a valid licence, according to investigators.
Helal is currently being questioned to determine how the firearm ultimately reached those involved in the murder.
Case documents show that Hadi was shot on 12 December in the capital’s Paltan area while returning by rickshaw after concluding his election campaign activities.
He was initially treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later transferred to Evercare Hospital before being flown to Singapore for advanced treatment, where he died on 18 December.
Police previously filed a charge sheet against 17 individuals, including former ward councillor Taijul Islam Chowdhury Bappi and Faisal Karim Masud.
However, the complainant later sought further investigation, which was granted and assigned to the CID.
