Anti-India groups in Bangladesh had alleged that India was sheltering the main accused in the murder of Inqilab Mancha leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Bangladesh's administration had also echoed this claim. However, the prime accused, Faizul Karim Masud, has now virtually rejected the allegation himself.
In a recent video message that has gone viral, Faizul claims that he is currently in Dubai, not in India. He also denies any involvement in Sharif Osman Hadi's murder. The video raises several questions: who is actually behind Hadi's killing, why Faizul visited Hadi's office before the shooting, and whether the accusations against him are part of a larger conspiracy. It must be noted that News Ei Samay has not verified the authenticity of the video.
What Faizul claims in the viral video
In the video, the person identifying himself as Faizul Karim Masud says, "I want to make it very clear that I have no involvement in the murder of Osman Hadi. The allegations against me are completely false and based on a conspiracy." He claims that because of this alleged conspiracy, he was forced to leave Bangladesh.
Faizul says he travelled to Dubai and holds a five-year multiple-entry visa, yet still faced difficulties while leaving the country. He also alleges that his family members are being harassed and targeted back home.
Sharif Osman Hadi murder: Main accused denies role in video, blames Jamaat-e-Islami.
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Faizul on his relationship with Osman Hadi
Faizul states that he had a business relationship with Sharif Osman Hadi, which is why he used to visit Hadi's office. In the video, he says he is a businessman who owns an IT firm and had earlier worked with Bangladesh's Finance Ministry. According to him, he had met Hadi to discuss a job-related issue.
Faizul claims that Hadi had assured him the work would be done, but demanded advance money. He says he paid Hadi 5 lakh BDT for this purpose and also funded several of Hadi's programmes.
Who is behind Hadi's murder?
Faizul makes an explosive claim in the video, alleging that Jamaat-e-Islami is behind Sharif Osman Hadi's murder. He says Hadi was 'created by Jamaat' and that the entire incident was orchestrated by the group. Faizul insists that neither he nor his brother was on the motorcycle used in the attack.
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Bangladesh's claim and India's response
Sharif Osman Hadi was shot by miscreants on the streets of Dhaka on December 12. After initial treatment in Bangladesh, he was taken to Singapore, where he later died. Bangladesh had claimed that the main accused, Faizul Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, fled the country and entered India through the Meghalaya border.
India firmly rejected the allegation, stating that it had no connection with the accused in the Hadi murder case.
Sharif Osman Hadi's murder has caused widespread unrest in Bangladesh. Many are questioning why the accused have not yet been arrested. Hadi's family has also openly criticised the Muhammad Yunus-led government over the handling of the case.
Amid growing public anger, Bangladesh claimed that the accused were hiding in India. However, media reports suggest that Bangladesh failed to provide any concrete evidence to support this claim. Against this backdrop, Faizul's viral video has triggered a fresh debate. Is the Bangladesh administration now trying to show that the accused are outside the country? Or is this a new attempt to manage public outrage over the murder?
