Meghalaya: Body of Bangladeshi political leader to be repatriated
SHILLONG: The repatriation of the body of Ishaque Ali Khan Panna, a member of Bangladesh’s Awami League, has been arranged through a coordinated effort between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.
The final paperwork was completed on Friday at the East Jaintia Hills police headquarters and the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Meghalaya.
Due to the late hour, the transfer of Panna’s body to Bangladesh was scheduled for Saturday morning.
The state government of Meghalaya has been working closely with the Bangladesh High Commission, following directives from the Ministries of External Affairs and Home Affairs.
A representative close to Panna’s family, who has been authorized by the Bangladesh High Commission, arrived in Meghalaya to oversee the identification and repatriation of the body to Pirojpur district in Bangladesh.
The body was positively identified as Panna’s at the Khliehriat Civil Hospital morgue, according to officials.
The body is set to be transported by road through the Dawki land port, with coordination between India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh’s Border Guards (BGB) to ensure a smooth handover. Sources confirmed that the transfer would take place at 5 AM from the Khliehriat Civil Hospital in Meghalaya.
Investigation Reveals Panna's Death as Homicide
Post-mortem results from Khliehriat Civil Hospital revealed that Ishaque Ali Khan Panna was killed by throttling.
Meghalaya’s Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home Affairs, Prestone Tynsong, confirmed the findings and indicated that further investigation by the Forensic Science Laboratory is ongoing.
Tynsong raised the possibility that Panna’s body might have been dumped inside Indian territory.
This incident occurred despite the imposition of a night curfew along the India-Bangladesh border, which was put in place due to ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh and to prevent cross-border infiltration.
Tynsong stated that while the Ministry of External Affairs and Home Affairs are managing the broader situation, the state government’s primary responsibility is to ensure the handover of Panna’s body.
Discovery of Panna's Body in Meghalaya Raises Concerns
The body of Ishaque Ali Khan Panna was discovered on August 26 in a betel nut plantation in Dona Bhoi village, East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, near the India-Bangladesh border.
The sensitive nature of the case led authorities to keep the discovery under wraps.
Multiple security agencies are now investigating the circumstances surrounding Panna’s death and the subsequent disposal of his body within Indian territory.
