Hadi murder to be tried at Speedy Trial Tribunal: law advisor

Inqilab Moncho leaders call for the trial to be completed before the 13th parliamentary election

The murder of Osman Hadi, convenor of Inqilab Moncho, will be tried at the Speedy Trial Tribunal, with proceedings expected to be completed within 90 days, according to Law Advisor Asif Nazrul.

The case will be handled by a tribunal under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act 2002 once police submit their investigation report, he said in a Facebook post on Monday.

“Under Section 10 of the law, the trial in this murder case will be completed within a maximum of 90 days after the police report is filed,” he wrote.

Hadi, who rose to prominence during last year's student-led mass uprising and the movement to ban the Awami League, was shot at close range on Dec 12 while travelling by rickshaw in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area. Police said two men on a motorcycle opened fire and fled the scene.

He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition before being transferred to a private hospital in the capital, where he was treated in intensive care. He was later flown to Singapore for advanced treatment but died there on Dec 18.

Hadi was laid to rest next to the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on Saturday after funeral prayers at the South Plaza of the Parliament complex.

Meanwhile, Inqilab Moncho leaders have called for the trial to be completed before the 13th parliamentary election, scheduled for Feb 12 next year.

At a media briefing in Dhaka on Monday, the platform's Member Secretary Abdullah Al Jaber said no election should take place until those responsible for the killing were identified and brought to justice.

He also said the group would continue street protests until the killers and those who allegedly backed them were punished, and called for the formation of a special judicial tribunal, with assistance from international investigative agencies, to ensure a swift trial.