Hadi murder case: Objection petition keeps charge sheet pending
A Dhaka court has kept its order pending on the acceptance of the charge sheet in the murder case of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho, following the filing of a naraji (objection) petition by the plaintiff.
The charge-sheet hearing was held on Thursday (15 January) at the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam. During the hearing, the prosecution argued in favour of accepting the charge sheet, while the plaintiff, Inqilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber, expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation report and submitted a naraji petition.
According to court sources, considering the plaintiff’s objection, the court refrained from issuing any immediate order on the acceptance of the charge sheet and kept the matter pending.
Earlier, the court had granted the prosecution two days to review the charge sheet thoroughly after state lawyers sought additional time. Accordingly, the hearing on the charge sheet was held on Thursday.
The court appointed three lawyers to assist the prosecution in the case: senior lawyer Abdus Sobhan Tarafder, Barrister SM Moinul Karim, and Assistant Attorney General Mustafizur Rahman Mukul. During the hearing, they informed the court that the charge sheet had been thoroughly reviewed and contained sufficient legal evidence. However, the plaintiff’s side claimed that some important aspects of the investigation had been overlooked and needed re-examination.
On 6 January, the case’s investigating officer, Inspector Faisal Ahmed of the Detective Branch, submitted a charge sheet in court against 17 individuals, including Masud, also known as Rahul and Daud. The following day, the court signed the charge sheet as “seen” and scheduled a date to hear the plaintiff’s statements.
Hadi was attacked on 12 December in Bijoynagar, Dhaka. The assailants, riding a motorcycle, shot him in the head while he was travelling in a rickshaw. He succumbed to his injuries seven days later, on 18 December.