DHAKA: In a twist to the intriguing murder of Bangladeshi Islamist radical Sharif Osman Hadi, one of the alleged killers, Faisal Karim Masud alias Daud (37), has denied the charge pinned on him by the interim govt while also refuting its assertion that he slipped into India after committing the alleged crime and is holed up there. Masud, a key suspect in the Hadi murder case and who Bangladesh claimed had escaped to India, in a video message said he was in Dubai and denied his role in the killing of Hadi, who died on Dec 18, six days after being shot in the head. On Dec 28, Dhaka claimed two primary suspects – Masud and Alamgir Sheikh – of the Hadi case have “fled Bangladesh and crossed into the Indian state of Meghalaya with the help of local associates”, inviting a rebuttal from Indian agencies, which termed the statement “fabricated and malicious”. In the message, Masud said, “I, Faisal Karim Masud, want to state clearly that I am not involved in Hadi’s murder in any way. This case is completely false and based on a fabricated conspiracy.” “Because of this false implication, I was forced to leave the country (Bangladesh) and come to Dubai. I came here with great difficulty, even though I held a valid five-year multiple-entry Dubai visa,” he said.
