The Detective Branch (DB) of police has taken over the investigation into the attempted killing of Inqilab Moncho Convenor and spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, as the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three more suspects and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said it remained unclear whether the attackers fled to India, report agencies.
A case over the shooting in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area was filed with Paltan Police Station on Sunday.
Mohammad Harun Or Rashid, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Motijheel Division, said all relevant documents had been handed over to the DB of the DMP, which will now lead the investigation.
RAB members have arrested three more people in connection with the gun attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, an independent candidate in the Dhaka-8 constituency.
The arrestees are the wife and brother-in-law of suspected shooter Faisal Karim Masud, also known as Daud Khan, along with another associate.
They were identified as Faisal's wife Begum Samia, his brother-in-law Shipu, and Begum Maria. RAB also recovered several bank cheques signed by Faisal Karim Masud and seized electronic devices from the arrestees. With the latest arrests, the total number of detainees in the case has risen to six.
Meanwhile, BGB said on Monday that it remains uncertain whether the attackers escaped to India through the Mymensingh border.
"We are not sure whether the attacker fled to India through the Mymensingh border or not. We are still working on this," BGB Sector Commander Colonel Sarkar Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman told a press briefing in Mymensingh.
He said BGB, along with police, carried out a joint operation in the border areas to arrest Philip Snal, who is suspected of helping the attackers flee to India via the Mymensingh border. Philip could not be detained during the operation, though three other people were held.
"We are working with all our strength to arrest Philip. If he is caught, many things will become clear-whether he helped in smuggling the attackers or not," the BGB commander said. Colonel Mostafizur Rahman added that law enforcement agencies are examining both possibilities-whether the attackers crossed the border or are still hiding inside the country.
"If he escaped, we want to know who helped him. And if he did not escape, then where he stayed and who sheltered him. We are continuing field-level investigations on both possibilities," he said.
