Meghalaya security agencies have refuted claims made by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) that suspects in the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a Bangladeshi student leader, had fled to India. Security officials in Meghalaya have called the allegations "baseless and misleading".
Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area. He was then taken to Singapore for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on December 18. Hadi's death sparked widespread protests and violence in Bangladesh. Hadi was a prominent youth leader of Inquilab Moncho and a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming elections.
According to the DMP, two primary suspects in Hadi's murder, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, fled to India through the Haluaghat border in Mymensingh and entered Meghalaya. Additional Police Commissioner S N Md Nazrul Islam stated that the suspects were assisted by local associates and transported to Tura city in Meghalaya. Islam also noted that the Bangladesh government is communicating with Indian authorities to ensure the arrest and extradition of the suspects.
However, the Meghalaya Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) have firmly denied these claims. A senior official at Meghalaya Police headquarters stated that they had received no formal or informal communication from Bangladesh police regarding the matter. They added that none of the accused had been traced in Garo Hills, and no arrests had been made.
Inspector General O P Upadhayay of the BSF (Meghalaya Frontier) stated that there is no evidence of the individuals crossing the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya. Upadhayay added that no such incident has been detected or reported by the BSF and that the claims are baseless and misleading. The BSF has emphasized that the international border is under constant surveillance.
The investigation into Hadi's murder is reportedly nearing completion, with the charge sheet expected to be submitted soon. Dhaka police have recovered two pistols allegedly used in the murder and seized a cheque for Tk 218 crore.
