Shishir Monir Does Not Support Seeking UN Assistance in Osman Hadi’s Trial

PNN News Desk | Dhaka

Senior Advocate of the Bangladesh Supreme Court and parliamentary candidate for Sunamganj-2 constituency, Shishir Monir, has said that he does not consider it appropriate to seek United Nations assistance in the judicial process of the Osman Hadi murder case. According to him, such a move raises questions about the country’s judicial capacity.

He made the remarks on Sunday night (February 8) while responding to questions from journalists of local and national print and electronic media at his election office in Dirai.

Shishir Monir stated that the murder of Osman Hadi was an isolated and personal crime. He said that if the country’s own law enforcement agencies and judicial system are unable to conduct the trial of such a case independently and require third-party assistance, it reflects weakness of the state. He expressed hope that the relevant authorities would soon be able to collect the necessary evidence.

He further said that a country must have the capability to complete the judicial process of a murder case within its internal system. Otherwise, it does not convey a positive message for the country.

Referring to attacks on journalists, Shishir Monir said that he personally does not support the program of surrounding the Chief Adviser’s office just a few days before the election, as such actions may obstruct the election process. However, he clearly stated that attacks or use of force against journalists are unacceptable under any circumstances.

He said that any disagreement should have been resolved through dialogue. The use of force by law enforcement agencies only complicates the situation further. If resolution through dialogue is not possible in one round, multiple rounds of discussion should take place, but physical violence can never be an acceptable method.

Shishir Monir further commented that observing the situation on the day of the incident, it appeared that the desired change in police behavior had not yet occurred even after August 5. He said that modern and coordinated strategies should be applied in managing the public, and suppressing people through physical force is neither effective nor justified.