The Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police said on Sunday that they have arrested a Bangladeshi National on charges of helping the alleged killers of Bangladeshi youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi to enter India after committing the crime.
A week ago, the STF had arrested two suspects wanted for the murder of Hadi from Bongaon in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. The two were identified as Faisal Karim Masud (37) alias Rahul, a resident of Bangladesh's Patuakhali and Alamgir Hossain (34), a Dhaka resident.
“During interrogation, Masud and Hossain named one named one person Philip Sangma who helped them to cross over to India through Meghalaya. Later, Philip himself entered India illegally. Sangma was arrested on Saturday morning from Shantipur Bypass (in Nadia district),” said an officer.
Sangma, a resident of Bangladesh, told the police during initial interrogation that he operates as a border tout and facilitates illegal migrants to cross the border through Haluaghat (Bangladesh) - Dalupara (Meghalaya) border area in lieu of money. He also admitted that he had facilitated the two accused in the Hadi murder case, Faisal and Alamgir, to enter India.
“Later he entered India to evade arrest in Bangladesh. He stayed in various places after entering India. He was in touch with Masud and Hossain and was trying to go back to Bangladesh,” said another official.
{{/usCountry}}“Later he entered India to evade arrest in Bangladesh. He stayed in various places after entering India. He was in touch with Masud and Hossain and was trying to go back to Bangladesh,” said another official.
{{/usCountry}}Sangma produced in the court today. The court sent him to police custody.
Hadi, 32, the spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho, was shot in the head on December 12 in Dhaka. He was flown to Singapore for treatment. His death on December 18 triggered a political unrest in Bangladesh which subsequently led to the general elections on February 12.
The Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) swept the polls with its allies to form government after 20 years with 216 of the 297 seats.