BSF refutes Bangladesh Police claims on Hadi murder suspects entering Meghalaya

Guwahati: The Border Security Force (BSF) in Meghalaya on Sunday dismissed reports from Bangladesh Police claiming that prime suspects in the murder of Inquilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi had entered the state.

“There is no evidence that any individual crossed the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya. Our personnel have neither detected nor received any report of such an incident,” BSF Meghalaya Inspector General O P Upadhyay told reporters. He described the circulating claims as “unfounded and misleading.”

Upadhyay added that BSF forces along the international border remain on high alert to prevent any untoward incidents, especially given the volatile situation in neighboring Bangladesh. The force reaffirmed that any attempt at illegal cross-border movement would be promptly intercepted.

A senior Meghalaya police officer also said there was “no input or intelligence” to corroborate the suspects’ presence in the Garo Hills region. He noted that local police units have not detected any such movement and that coordination with central agencies is ongoing.

Earlier, a senior officer from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police claimed that two main suspects in Hadi’s murder had crossed into Meghalaya via the Haluaghat border “with the help of local associates.”

Hadi, 32, was shot in the head on December 12 during an election campaign in Dhaka. He was airlifted to Singapore for advanced treatment but succumbed to his injuries on December 18. The Inquilab Moncho spokesperson was a key youth leader during the July-August 2024 mass protests that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. He had also been a parliamentary candidate for the February 12 elections.

The Garo Hills region in western Meghalaya, which shares an international border with Bangladesh, is under the vigilant watch of the BSF.