Maj. Muhammad Rafiqul Islam, Dhaka Police Chief, said the police have uncovered new evidence about the murder of Khalaf Al-Ali, the Saudi diplomat who was shot dead on March 6, 2012 while on his way home. “We are following strong leads that will unravel the identity of the killer but we can't divulge any information now because investigations have not been completed yet,” he told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. Dhaka police have also distributed the pictures of 48 wanted persons who are the primary suspects in the case. Maj. Rafiqul Islam said the last thing written by Al-Ali, who was in charge of Saudi citizens' affairs in Bangladesh, was a Qura'nic verse saying: “For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts” (22:46). “Al-Ali wrote this a few hours before his death. Then, he went out for a jog on the banks of the Dhaleswari River at 11 P.M. just as he did every evening at the same time. On Tuesday at 1 A.M., he was walking back home when he was killed in a drive-by shooting,” the Dhaka police official explained. “A bullet went through his chest into his right kidney but he did not die. He remained lying on the street with blood gushing from his wound.” The guards of the diplomatic buildings did not hear the shots; however, the guard of the Portuguese Consulate heard it and called the police right away. When the police arrived, Al-Ali had already lost consciousness and was motionless. His heart was still beating but slower than normal, according to the police officer who felt the Saudi diplomat's pulse. Al-Ali was rushed to the hospital where it was concluded that the bullet had reached his right kidney and that he had already lost a large amount of blood. Doctors could not save him and he was pronounced dead four hours after being admitted to the hospital. Al-Ali did not have any identification and police did not know that he was a Saudi diplomat. On the morning of the day Al-Ali died, his absence was noticed at the Saudi Embassy and a team was formed to search for him. Omar Al-Otaibi, a Saudi diplomat, visited hospitals and police centers but could not find anyone named Khalaf Al-Ali, as the police at the time had not yet determined Al-Ali's identity. Saudi diplomat Saeed Al-Qahtani went to look for Al-Ali in his apartment, but did not find him there. However, on his way out, he saw an unusual scene — some police officers were handing out photos. Al-Qahtani approached them and asked them what was going on. They told him a man had been killed and they were trying to discover the identity of the victim. “To my surprise, the victim was Khalaf Al-Ali. I was completely shocked and devastated, and could not utter a word for a few minutes. I called the diplomatic attaché immediately and he broke the news to Dr. Abdullah Al-Busairi, Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh. No one could believe it,” Al-Qahtani said. __
