Osman Hadi murder: Meghalaya security agencies reject Bangladesh's claims of suspects entering India; call allegations 'misleading'

NEW DELHI: Security agencies in Meghalaya on Sunday rejected claims by the Bangladesh Police that the killers of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi had entered the state. They termed the allegations as unfounded and misleading."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," BSF chief in Meghalaya, Inspector General O P Opadhyay was quoted as saying by PTI. A senior Meghalaya police officer said there was “no input or intelligence to corroborate” claims that the suspects were present in the Garo Hills region, adding that local police units had detected no such movement and that coordination with central agencies was ongoing.Border Security Force (BSF) officials said personnel deployed along the international border remain on high alert to prevent any untoward incident, especially in view of the unrest and volatile situation in the neighbouring country.Also Read: 'Horrific': US slams mob violence on Hindu worker Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh; demands action The force added that the border in the sector is under constant surveillance and that any attempt at illegal cross-border movement would be swiftly detected and dealt with.The Garo Hills region lies in Meghalaya’s western sector, which shares an international border with Bangladesh and is guarded by the Border Security Force.Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Police claimed that two prime suspects in the murder of Inquilab Moncho leader Osman Hadi had fled the country and entered India through the Meghalaya border.Addressing a media briefing in Dhaka, the Additional Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh crossed into India via the Haluaghat border in Mymensingh with the assistance of local associates.Bangladesh Police said the suspects crossed into India through the Haluaghat border, were received by a local contact, and were later taken by taxi to Tura in Meghalaya, according to a report in the Daily Star.He added that Bangladeshi police had received informal reports indicating that Indian security agencies had detained those who assisted the suspects, and said the Bangladesh government is actively working to secure their return.Sharif Osman 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.Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho, was a prominent youth leader during the mass street protests in July–August 2024 that contributed to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government. He was also a parliamentary candidate for the upcoming elections scheduled on February 12.