India and Bangladesh are moving to settle an issue that had strained their relations: Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad confirmed in Dhaka that the primary suspects in the killing of Inquilab Manch leader Osman bin Hadi had been arrested in India and would be returned.
A report in the Dhaka Tribune quoted Ahmad as saying, “We have requested the foreign minister to ask India to return them under the extradition agreement. We will make strong efforts to bring them back.”
The Inspector General of Police, Hossain Fakir, also confirmed: “They will be brought back soon.”
The two suspects, both Bangladesh nationals, were identified as Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Hossain. Their motivations are not known, nor their political affiliations. They were picked up in Bongaon, a border town in the North 24 Paraganas District of West Bengal.
They were produced before a court in India on Monday and remanded in police custody, while further investigation is underway.
The intel about the whereabouts of the accused was shared by Bangladesh, which then led to their arrest on the night of March 7, the Dhaka Tribune said. The duo had entered India reportedly through Meghalaya, although their arrest took place in West Bengal.
Osman Hadi’s assassination had generated a hue and cry in Bangladesh, with many attributing it to India. In fact, Hadi had expressed strong anti-India views as the country prepared for elections last year. There were even allegations that the accussed hiding in India with the support of the Indian government, which Delhi denied.
The return of suspects in Hadi’s killing could be a shot in the arm for leaders of both countries; it signals trust and confidence and could open the diplomatic doors going forward.
