Man accused of ‘selling’ pistol used in Hadi's assassination to be interrogated

Forensic examination of the pistol, and the cartridges and bullets from the scene shows Hadi was shot with the weapon, police say

A Dhaka court has granted police three days to interrogate a man accused of selling the pistol used in the assassination of Sharif Osman bin Hadi.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the order against Mazedul Islam alias Helal on Wednesday, said Prosecution Police Sub-Inspector (SI) Rukunuzzaman.

Helal, reportedly the owner of a Chattogram-based gun store called “Hamidul Haq Arms and Co”, was arrested by detectives in the port city’s Chawk Bazar.

Assistant Superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department of police in Dhaka Metro (East) Abdur Qadir Bhuiyan, also the investigation officer (IO), produced him in court and requested for seven days’ custody to question Helal.

According to him, a pistol used in Hadi's murder was recovered in Narsingdi, leading to the filing of a case at the local police station.

Forensic examination of the pistol, and the cartridges and bullets recovered from the Dec 12 crime scene proves that Hadi was shot by the same weapon, the IO said.

The serial number of the pistol was also confirmed through micro analysis.

Qadir said the pistol was imported by a company named “MH Arms Co” in Dhaka.

Later, they reportedly sold the weapon to “Islam Uddin Ahmed and Sons” in Chawk Bazar of Old Dhaka on Dec 3, 2017. Helal allegedly bought it from the Chawk Bazar gun shop in February 2018.

Before Helal, his father -- Hamidul Haque -- owned “Hamidul Haque Arms and Co” and had a licence to his name, the IO said.

In 2000, Helal reportedly obtained his own licence, which was renewed until Dec 31, 2014.

Helal reportedly bought the pistol from “Islam Uddin Ahmed and Sons” without renewing the licence.

The IO told the court that Helal needs to be interrogated for information on how the pistol reached the murder suspects.

Helal had no legal representatives in court.

When the magistrate asked if Helal wanted to say something, he replied in the negative.

Hadi, an Inqilab Moncho leader who was a prospective candidate from Dhaka-8, was shot in the head in a broad daylight drive-by attack in Dhaka’s Shantinagar on Dec 12 and he died while being treated in Singapore on Dec 18.