UKHRUL: The Bangladeshi media and police claimed that Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, the two accused in the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi (32), crossed into the state. This claim was rejected by the Border Security Force(BSF) and Meghalaya Police on Monday (December 29).
The Daily Star, Bangladeshi news outlet reported on Sunday (December 28) that according to Dhaka police Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam the two suspects crossed into Meghalaya through the Haluaghat border area with the help of Indian residents.
Islam further claimed that the men met with a person identified as Purti and was later taken by a taxi deiver, Sami to Tura in Meghalaya.
However, Border Security Force’s Chief in Meghalaya, Inspector General OP Upadhyay told PTI “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.”
The state police also confirmed no intelligence supporting the claims of the suspects’ presence in the Garo Hills region which is part of the western region of Meghalaya. This region borders Bangladesh and is guarded by the BSF.
“The BGB is a highly professional force,” Upadhyay told ANI. “The claim that the individuals entered India from a location nearly 300 km from Dhaka, despite extensive CCTV surveillance and checkpoints in Bangladesh, is highly implausible.”
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Hadi, a prominent leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 student-led uprising was wounded during an assassination attempt on December 12. He was transferred to Singapore General Hospital’s neurological Intensive Care Unit for further treatment but succumbed to his injuries and died on December 18.
Upon further investigation and inspection of CCTV footage, two suspects Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh were identified.
The incident caused a stir as Hadi was a prominent figure in the political landscape of Bangladesh; he was a spokesperson for Inquilab Mancha (Platform for Revolution) and was planning to stand as a member of parliament for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the Bijoynagar area of the city in the upcoming elections expected in February 2026.
According to Al Jazeera, Hadi was also an outspoken critic of India. Theories spread online that the assailants fled to India and some politicians from youth parties along with media outlets supported these claims. Violent protests in Dhaka following his death were marked by strong anti-India sentiments, demonstrators accused India of political interference and alleged that the attackers fled there.
Protesters and youth leaders have demanded accountability from both the interim Bangladeshi government and India, vowing to continue demonstrations until those responsible are returned.