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The auto-rickshaw driver, who was transporting Shaheed Osman Hadi at the time of shooting, testified before a Dhaka court on Thursday in connection with the murder case of Inqilab Moncho Spokesperson Shaheed Sharif Osman bin Hadi.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jamsed Ahmed recorded the statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, court sources said.
According to the application filed by investigation officer, Detective Branch Inspector Faisal Ahmed, Osman Hadi was travelling in Kamal Hossain’s auto-rickshaw from Khalil Hotel in Motijheel toward Suhrawardy Udyan when he was shot. The driver was described as a direct eyewitness to the incident and expressed willingness to provide his account voluntarily before the court. Investigators said recording his statement was essential to ensure a fair and proper investigation.
Osman Hadi was shot on December 12 in the capital’s Bijoynagar area while he was engaged in election-related campaigning. The accused shooter has been identified as Faisal Karim Masud, also known as Daud Khan, a leader of the now-banned Chhatra League.
Following the shooting, Osman Hadi was flown to Singapore for advanced medical treatment, where he died on December 18 while undergoing care.
The case was initially filed on the night of December 14 as an attempted murder complaint by Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Moncho. The first information report named Faisal Karim Masud along with several unidentified individuals, alleging their involvement not only in carrying out the attack but also in planning, financing and backing the attempted killing. After Osman Hadi’s death, the case was formally converted into a murder case.
Law enforcement agencies have arrested Faisal Karim Masud’s wife, his brother-in-law and a female associate in connection with the shooting. The arrests were made by the Rapid Action Battalion on December 14.
However, the prime accused, Faisal Karim Masud, remains at large, and authorities have said efforts are continuing to trace and arrest him.
Investigators say the testimony of the auto-rickshaw driver is a key development in the case, as it may help establish the sequence of events leading up to the shooting and identify those responsible for the killing of Osman Hadi.
