Days after the Bangladesh police claimed that the two prime suspects in the murder of prominent youth leader Osman Hadi had fled to India through the Meghalaya border, one of them, Faisal Karim Masud on Wednesday claimed that he is in Dubai.
In a video message shared on X, Masud denied any role in the assassination of Hadi, which triggered widespread protests in Bangladesh and intensified anti-India sentiments in the country. TNIE could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral video.
"I am Faisal Karim Masud. I want to state clearly that I am not involved in the murder of Hadi in any way. This case is completely false and based on a fabricated conspiracy," Masud said in the video.
In contrast to Dhaka police's claim that he had entered India, Masud said, "Because of this false implication, I was forced to leave the country and come to Dubai. I came here with great difficulty, even though I held a valid five-year multiple-entry Dubai visa."
Masud reiterated that he had no involvement in the murder and claimed that his relationship with Hadi was business related.
"Yes, I did go to Hadi's office. I am a businessman; I own an IT firm, and I was previously employed at the Ministry of Finance. I went to meet Hadi regarding a job opportunity. He promised to arrange the job and asked for an advance payment," he claimed.
"Accordingly, I gave him 500,000 taka. He also asked me to donate to his various programmes, and I provided funds whenever he requested. Just last Friday, I gave him money for one of his programmes," he added.
Masud also accused Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of murdering Hadi.
"This incident is the work of Jamaat. Neither I nor my younger brother was on that motorcycle, and we have been deliberately framed. My family is suffering unjustly. This level of harassment is deeply disturbing and unacceptable," he alleged.
According to reports by The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Sunday said that Faisal Karim Masud, along with co-accused Alamgir Sheikh, crossed into India via the Haluaghat border in Mymensingh with the help of local associates.
"After crossing into India, they were initially received by an individual named Purti. Later, a taxi driver, Sami, transported them to Tura city in Meghalaya," DMP Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam was quoted as saying by the media.
The local media also reported that the Bangladesh police had received information that both Purti and Sami have been detained by authorities in India.
However, Meghalaya police and the BSF have dismissed the claims.
"We learnt about the news circulating in the media and on social media handles. We verified at our end. This is completely false," a senior BSF official told TNIE on Sunday.
Osman Hadi, a prominent political figure and vocal critic of both India and the Awami League, was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka on December 12. He was flown to Singapore for treatment but succumbed to his injuries six days later.
Hadi had been among the leaders of last year’s student-led July Uprising, which contributed to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Before his death, he had launched a political platform, Inqilab Mancha, and was preparing to contest the parliamentary elections scheduled for February.
His killing triggered widespread unrest in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh. The unrest also spread to central Bangladesh, where a Hindu factory worker was lynched in Mymensingh.