Bangladesh student leader murder: Travel ban issued on Hadi's killer Faisal Karim Masud, hunt on to nab him

A Bangladesh court has issued travel ban on Faisal Karim Masud the alleged killer of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. The order was passed by Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain after the Detective Branch (DB) of police filed an application requesting the ban on the suspected murderer.

However, the Bangladesh Police say they have no concrete information on whether Masud is still hiding in the country or has left the country.

In a press conference Additional Inspector General of Police Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said that the state machinery is working hard to trace Faisal’s whereabouts. He also said that no evidence of involvement of any political party has come to the fore in relation to the murder.

“We do not have specific information about Faisal's last location. Our forces and intelligence agencies are working to obtain it,” said Islam

Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, a key figure in last year's student-led uprising that toppled longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and spokesperson of the Anti-Sheikh Hasina Inqilab Mancha was shot in the head by masked assailants in Dhaka last week while launching his campaign for the scheduled February general election.

Who is Hadi's alleged shooter?

So, who is Faisal Karim Masud the alleged shooter? Masud was a leader of the Chhatra League (currently banned), the student wing of the ousted Awami League, according to The Telegraph.

Masud participated in Hadi’s election campaign along with another suspect, identified as motorcycle rider Alamgir, before carrying out the attack, reported the media house, citing a local journalist.

The Pakistani police had arrested Masud about a year ago in connection with an armed robbery at a school. A foreign-made pistol was also recovered from him.

Notably before carrying out the attack, Masud had told his girlfriend that something was going to happen that would "shake entire Bangladesh". Hours later, Faisal, along with two other people, shot Hadi in broad daylight in Dhaka.

"It would be something that would shake the entire country," Faisal told Maria, reported Dhaka-based Jamuna Television. "Something will happen tomorrow (on Friday), that the whole country will tremble," newspaper Daily Jugantor quoted Faisal as saying.

Faisal is married to a woman named Saheda Parvin Samia, who has been arrested along with other family members.