BSF, Meghalaya Police reject Bangladesh’s claim on killers of Osman Hadi entering India

Shillong/New Delhi: Security agencies in Meghalaya on Sunday firmly rejected claims from Bangladesh Police that two suspects accused of killing Inquilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi had crossed into the Indian state, underscoring a clear divergence between official accounts from the two sides.

The Border Security Force said there was no evidence of any illegal movement across the international border from Bangladesh into Meghalaya through the Haluaghat sector. Inspector General O P Opadhyay, who heads the BSF in Meghalaya, said the assertions circulating from across the border were incorrect and not backed by facts. He stated that the force had neither detected nor received any report of suspects entering India through the sector in question.

Opadhyay said the international border in Meghalaya’s western sector remained under constant watch and that any attempt at unauthorised crossing would be detected and addressed immediately. BSF officials added that personnel along the frontier have been kept on high alert, particularly in view of the unrest and volatile situation in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Meghalaya Police also dismissed the claims. A senior state police officer said there was no intelligence or operational input to support suggestions that the suspects were present in the Garo Hills region, which lies along the India-Bangladesh border. According to the officer, local units had not observed any suspicious movement and were continuing coordination with central agencies as part of routine security measures.

The denials came after a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police official said earlier on Sunday that two primary suspects in Hadi’s murder, identified as Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, had fled Bangladesh and entered India. Additional Police Commissioner (Crime and Operations) S N Md Nazrul Islam told a press briefing that the suspects were believed to have crossed into Meghalaya via the Haluaghat border with the help of local associates. He claimed they were initially received by an individual named Purti and later transported by a taxi driver, Sami, to Tura city. Islam also said Bangladeshi authorities had received informal information suggesting the two alleged facilitators had been detained in India.

Islam said the Bangladesh government was actively pursuing the suspects’ return and was in touch with Indian authorities through both formal and informal channels to facilitate their arrest and extradition. He did not specify when the alleged border crossing took place. Indian officials, however, said there was no confirmation of any such development.

Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign event in Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical treatment but died of his injuries on December 18. A spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, Hadi had emerged as a prominent youth leader during the July–August 2024 mass protests that culminated in the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. He was also contesting as a parliamentary candidate for the February 12 elections.

Bangladesh Police said the investigation into the killing was nearing completion, with a charge sheet expected within seven to ten days. Eleven people have been arrested so far, six of whom have made confessional statements before a court under Section 164 of the CrPC. Investigators have described the murder as premeditated.

Authorities have recovered two pistols allegedly used in the attack, which are undergoing scientific examination at the Criminal Investigation Department. The motorcycle used in the shooting has also been seized. Police have further said a large amount of money was spent in executing the crime, and a cheque worth Tk 218 crore has been recovered during the investigation.with agency inputs