Bangladesh has not yet got consular access to Iquilab Mancha convener Osman Hadi murder suspects — Faisal Karim Masud and his associate Alamgir Hossain — arrested in West Bengal of India early March even after it made the request over two weeks back.
‘We are pushing for the consular access to Hadi murder suspects — Faisal Karim Masud and his associate Alamgir Hossain — arrested in West Bengal to ascertain their identities. We are expecting to have the access soon,’ state minister for foreign affairs Shama Obaed Islam told reporters at the ministry in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday.
She said that the home ministry was also working on it for their repatriation through a legal process since there was an extradition treaty between the two neighbouring countries.
‘It is a priority of this government to bring back the accused in the Hadi murder case to ensure justice,’ said the state minister.
Responding to a question, she said that they would also continue the efforts to repatriate deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others, who were facing arrest warrants for July atrocities and sheltered in India following the fall of her regime on August 5, 2024 in the wake of a student-led mass uprising, for trials.
Meanwhile, Indian West Bengal police arrested Philip Sangma, accused of helping prime accused of Iquilab Mancha convener Osman Hadi murder Faisal Karim Masud and his associate Alamgir Hossain, to flee to India, from West Bengal on March 14.
The Inter Services Public Relation Directorate on March 8 said that the prime accused of Osman Hadi’s murder in Bangladesh, Faisal Karim Masud, and his associate Alamgir Hossain were arrested in Bangaon area of West Bengal and the process for their extradition to Bangladesh began.
Hadi, also an organiser of the July uprising, died at a hospital in Singapore on December 18, 2025, six days after he was shot in the head in Dhaka on December 12.
Based on information from different sources, the ISPR said that Indian police arrested Faisal and Alamgir between March 7 and March 8 conducting drives after receiving information from Bangladesh.
The ISPR also said that a specific case was filed against them after they were arrested and were taken into police custody after being produced before an Indian court.
Faisal Karim Masud denied any involvement in the killing while being taken to the Bidhannagar court in West Bengal on Sunday, an Indian newspaper reported.
The two accused, who had fled Bangladesh were arrested in India earlier in March and produced before the Bidhannagar court, reports Hindustan Times Bangla.
While being escorted, Faisal told reporters, ‘I did not commit this crime. I was not involved in any such act,’ the newspaper reported in its online version.
At court, India’s National Investigation Agency sought permission to interrogate Faisal and co-accused Alamgir in custody and the judge granted the request.
The court also approved the addition of stringent charges under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the accused, the report mentioned. Both Faisal and Alamgir were later taken to Delhi by the NIA on Monday on the court permission, according to media reports.
Earlier, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police had identified Faisal as the main conspirator behind the December 12 shooting of Hadi in Dhaka.
Authorities claimed that the attackers had fled to India, a claim that was denied by New Delhi at the time.
During interrogation, it was revealed that they had entered India through the Meghalaya border and had been hiding in various locations before being apprehended.
On January 6, the DMP’s Detective Branch filed a charge sheet against 17 people in the case.
The police in the charge sheet claimed that the young politician was killed due to the ‘political vendetta’ of the Awami League, activities of which are now banned.
The charge sheet named former Bangladesh Chhatra League activist Faisal Karim Masud and his associate and Juba League activist Alamgir Sheikh for their direct involvement in the killing, and former Juba League Pallabi thana unit president and former Dhaka North City Corporation’s ward No 6 councillor Taijul Islam Chowdhury Bappi for guiding the duo in carrying out the murder.
The case was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for further probe and the submission of the probe has been delayed for the 7th time so far.
