Security agencies in Meghalaya on Sunday rejected claims by the Bangladesh Police that the killers involved in the killing of Inquilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi had entered the state. Notably, Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 while campaigning in Dhaka. He was later airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries on December 18.
'Claims are unfounded and misleading': BSF
BSF chief in Meghalaya, Inspector General O P Opadhyay, said the claims are unfounded and misleading. "There is no evidence to suggest that any individual crossed the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya. The BSF has neither detected nor received any report of such an incident," Opadhyay told news agency PTI.
"The claims being circulated are unfounded and misleading, he added.
A senior Meghalaya police officer said there was "no input or intelligence to corroborate" the claim that the suspects were present in the Garo Hills region. He added that local police units had not detected any such movement and that coordination with central agencies was continuing.
Meanwhile, BSF officials said personnel deployed along the international border have been kept on a high state of alert to prevent any untoward incident, especially in view of the unrest and volatile situation in the neighbouring country. The BSF reiterated that the international border in the sector remains under constant surveillance and that any attempt at illegal cross-border movement would be swiftly detected and dealt with.
Two suspects in Hadi's murder case fled to India: Bangladesh police
Earlier in the day, a top Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer had claimed that two primary suspects in the Hadi murder case have crossed into Meghalaya via the Haluaghat border "with the help of local associates".
"The suspects, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, crossed into the Indian state of Meghalaya with the help of local associates," Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) S N Md Nazrul Islam told a press conference at the DMP Media Centre.
"According to our information, the suspects entered India via the Haluaghat border. After crossing, they were initially received by an individual named Purti. Later, a taxi driver named Sami transported them to Tura city in Meghalaya," The Daily Star said, quoting Islam.
Osman Hadi murder
Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, opposition leader who sparked a violent protest against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh last year, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment but died of his injuries on December 18.
Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, was a prominent youth leader during the July-August 2024 mass street protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government last year.
He was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming February 12 elections.
Notably, Hadi, a member of the anti-Hasina platform Inqilab Manch and known for his outspoken views, was campaigning in Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area when he was attacked. He is contesting as an Independent candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency. Police said the attackers fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene.
It is pertinent to mention that the Garo Hills region falls under Meghalaya's western sector, which shares an international border with Bangladesh and is guarded by the Border Security Force.
Also Read: Who was Sharif Osman Hadi, student leader whose death sparked massive protests in Bangladesh?
Also Read: Sharif Osman Hadi, Bangladesh's anti-Sheikh Hasina protest leader, dies in Singapore
