The government has begun efforts on multiple fronts to bring back Faisal Karim Masud and his associate Alamgir Hossain, the main accused in the killing of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a former spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha.
Authorities said communication is being maintained with India through special channels.
Bangladesh has a prisoner exchange arrangement with India, and the suspects are expected to be returned under that framework, according to the home ministry.
Speaking after a meeting of the Cox’s Bazar District Law and Order Committee on Monday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government had already taken steps to bring the accused back.
“We have requested the foreign minister to ask India to return them under the extradition agreement. We will make strong efforts to bring them back,” he said.
On the same day at the Police Headquarters media centre, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir said diplomatic efforts were underway to bring Faisal and Alamgir back to Bangladesh.
“They will be brought back soon,” he said.
What Indian police say
Indian police said the two men were detained early Saturday in a special operation in the Bangaon area in West Bengal, based on specific intelligence.
They were later taken to Kolkata under tight security. On Sunday, they were produced before a court in Bidhannagar, which ordered 14 days of police custody for both accused.
Police said that following the court order, the two were taken on Monday to the Special Task Force (STF) headquarters in Salt Lake under strict secrecy, where investigators questioned them throughout the day.
Investigators suspect the killing may involve a larger network and are trying to gather detailed information.
Sources involved in the probe said investigators were questioning the suspects about their movements, communications, and whether others were involved in the killing. Authorities are also collecting details about their recent movements near the border.
Meanwhile, sources in the West Bengal police administration said diplomatic communication has also begun over the matter. The Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata has sought consular access to the two detainees.
How Hadi was killed
Sharif Osman Bin Hadi had planned to contest the parliamentary election in the Dhaka-8 constituency as an independent candidate and had been carrying out campaign activities for several days.
On December 12 last year, shortly after Friday prayers, assailants shot Hadi while he was riding in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Purana Paltan in the capital. After shooting him in the head, the attackers fled on a motorcycle.
Hadi was later taken to Singapore for advanced treatment but died there on December 18.
After the killing, the suspects fled to India. Later, the prime accused Faisal released a video message claiming he had escaped to Dubai, although Bangladeshi intelligence agencies said he was still in India.
Late Saturday night, authorities arrested prime suspect Faisal Karim Masud and his associate Alamgir Hossain in an operation in the border town of Bangaon in India’s West Bengal state.
The information was confirmed in a statement issued Sunday by the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police.
