Key Accused In Osman Hadi Murder Denies Role, Says He Is In Dubai

New Delhi: One of the main accused in the killing of Bangladeshi student leader Sharif Osman Hadi has denied involvement in the murder and says he is not in Bangladesh. In a video message circulating online, Faisal Karim Masud claimed he is currently in Dubai and had nothing to do with the killing. He also pointed to others as being responsible. 

What did Masud say in the video?

Masud, identified by investigators as a prime accused in the case, said in the video message that he did not kill Hadi and has no connection to the attack. He suggested that an organisation called Jamaat-Shibir was behind the murder. 

Masud said his links with Hadi were business related. He admitted to making political donations to Hadi, but described these as part of business dealings, not criminal activity. 

"I did not kill Hadi. Me and my family are being implicated. I have come to Dubai to save myself from the witch hunt. Hadi is a product of Jamat. Jamatis may have been behind it. Yes, I met Hadi for professional reasons as I own an IT firm. I made political donations to him. He promised to get me government contracts," he said in the video message that surfaced on Tuesday.

Where does Bangladesh stand?

The killing of Hadi, a prominent youth leader in Bangladesh, triggered widespread protests across the country. The case has become a major political flashpoint ahead of the general elections scheduled for February.

Is there evidence Masud fled to India or Dubai?

On Sunday, Bangladesh police had claimed that Faisal Karim Masud and another suspect, Alamgir Sheikh, had fled to India, though Indian authorities, including the Border Security Force and Meghalaya Police, have denied any such border crossing or arrests. They dismissed the claims of cross-border movement as unsubstantiated.

BSF chief in Meghalaya, Inspector General O P Opadhyay, said, "There is no evidence to suggest that any individual crossed the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya. The BSF has neither detected nor received any report of such an incident."

Who was Osman Hadi and what happened?

Sharif Osman Hadi was a prominent youth leader and spokesman for the political group Inqilab Moncho. He was shot in Dhaka on December 12 while campaigning for the upcoming national elections. He later died of his injuries in Singapore.

His death has triggered protests in Bangladesh and intensified political tensions ahead of the elections. Supporters have demanded swift arrests and a full accounting of those responsible.