Bangladesh Police on Sunday said they have no specific information to suggest that Faisal Karim Masud, the prime suspect in the killing of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, has left the country.
Addressing an emergency press conference at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Additional Inspector General of Police Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said law enforcement and intelligence agencies are actively trying to trace Faisal’s whereabouts. “We do not have specific information about his last location, but there is no confirmation that he has fled abroad,” he said, adding that no concrete evidence has yet emerged linking any political party to the murder.
Meanwhile, welknown human rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) strongly condemned recent incidents of mob violence, including the lynching of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh and the death of a seven-year-old girl in an arson attack in Lakshmipur. ASK warned that the incidents reflect a deteriorating law and order situation and a growing culture of impunity, calling for impartial investigations into possible administrative and security failures.
Dipu, a member of the Hindu community, was beaten to death in Bhaluka upazila on 18 December over allegations of blasphemy. His body was later tied to a tree and set on fire. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has said it found no direct evidence that the victim made any derogatory remarks about religion.
The recent violence has also sparked widespread condemnation over attacks on media houses. Senior political figures, journalists, cultural activists and international actors, including the European Union envoy, have described the arson attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star as a grave assault on press freedom and democratic values, urging swift accountability and stronger measures to ensure public safety.
