HC denies bail to arms dealer in Hadi murder case

The High Court has rejected the bail petition of Chattogram-based arms dealer Md Mazedul Haque Helal, an accused in the murder case of Inqilab Mancha convener Shaheed Sharif Osman Bin Hadi.

A High Court bench led by Justice KM Zahid Sarwar passed the order today (24 August) while Advocate Mintu Kumar Mondal represented Mazedul in court.

Earlier, on 18 April, Mazedul gave a confessional statement before a court, which was recorded by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Arifur Rahman.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Mazedul from the Chawkbazar area of Chattogram on 15 April.

Following his arrest, CID Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdul Kadir Bhuiyan, the investigating officer, produced him before a court and sought seven days’ remand. Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam granted three days’ remand.

According to the remand petition, the pistol allegedly used in the murder was recovered from Narsingdi, where a separate case was filed under the Arms Act. Forensic tests confirmed that the recovered weapon had fired the cartridge and bullet found at the crime scene.

Micro-analysis of the firearm revealed its serial number, allowing investigators to trace its origin.

Dhaka-based MIH Arms Company imported the pistol and sold it to Islam Uddin Ahmed & Sons on 3 December 2017. In February 2018, the weapon was sold to Chattogram-based Hamidul Haque Arms & Company, owned by Mazedul.

The investigation also found that Mazedul’s arms licence had not been renewed since 31 December 2014.

Murder case

Hadi had announced his independent candidacy for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the 13th national parliamentary election. He was shot in the Paltan Box Culvert Road area of the capital on 12 December, a day after the election schedule was announced.

On 14 December last year, Abdullah Al Jaber, member secretary of Inqilab Mancha, filed an attempted murder case with Paltan police station.

Hadi later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in Singapore on 18 December, turning the case into a murder case.

On 6 January, the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police submitted a charge sheet against 17 individuals, including Faisal Karim Masud.

Following a no-confidence petition filed by the plaintiff against the charge sheet, the court ordered the CID to conduct further investigation into the case.