Sylhet Journalist Murder
Osmani's family rejects 'flawed' charge sheet
Foteh Osmani
Family of slain journalist Foteh Osmani has rejected the charge sheet filed in the case. In the charge sheet submitted by Sub-Inspector Abdur Rahim (1) of Sylhet Kotwali police station to the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court on Monday, names of six people were mentioned but murder charge was not brought against them. The accused are Saddam Hossain alias Tiger Saddam of Durlovpur of Sunamganj Sadar, Sumon of Amtrali under Biswambharpur upazila of Sunamganj, Quashem Ali of Adarshagram of Jaintapur upazila, Shah Alam of Uttar Baluchar and Swapon Miah of Arambag in Sylhet city, and Faisal Ahmed Russel of Nagua in Kishoreganj town. "We are frustrated as the police submitted a flawed charge sheet although they took 15 months to complete their investigation. We do not know whether the killers would be punished," brother of the deceased Al Farhad Matin, also the complainant of the case, told this correspondent yesterday afternoon. "The police also failed to arrest the owner of the motorcycle used by the killers. Although the bike was recovered from the spot, it was not shown as evidence in the case. Rather they had handed it over to the owner mysteriously," Osmani's wife Sahira Ahmed Daisy said, "We did not expect such a flawed charge sheet after 15 months as the high police officials assured us of a proper investigation. We want justice. We would file a 'naraji' petition against the charge sheet." Armed criminals waylaid Sylhet regional correspondent of the Saptahik 2000-Foteh Osmani when he along with his friend Abdul Malek on a motorbike came near Doldoli tea garden, close to Shah Mir's majar in the city's Shahi Eidgah area on the night of April 18 in 2010. They stabbed Foteh Osmani seriously while snatching away his handbag and other belongings. Critically injured Osmani died at a private hospital in Dhaka on April 28 night. Days after the killing, locals caught Saddam Hossain, a listed criminal in the area, with a motorbike and handed him over to the police. The other arrested in this connection -- Sumon, Russel, Quashem, Shah Alam and Swapon have also criminal records in the area. "My old mother is still waiting to see the trial of the killers. Osmani's widow and two daughters are passing hard days since the killing. They are now staying at a relative's house in the city," Farhad said. A regular contributor of different periodicals and magazines, Osmani also worked for news agency UNB and different local dailies for years. He stayed in the UK for years and wrote two books on the struggle of the migrant community in the UK from greater Sylhet region.
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