Meghalaya Police, BSF Outright Rejects Claims Of Bangladesh Media Accusing Killers Taking Shelter In Indian State

Guwahati: The Meghalaya police on Sunday outright rejected the claims of Bangladesh that two accused in the murder of Osman Hadi — Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh — had fled into India from Bangladesh’s Haluaghat border in Mymensingh district and are taking shelter in the Indian state.

Refusing to say anything on record as it's an international issue on which Indian state police is not authorised to give reaction, a top official at the Meghalaya Police headquarters said that they have been keeping close watch on development along the international border.

Pointing out that claims of Bangladesh police that killers of Osman Hadi are taking shelter in Meghalaya was not based on facts, a senior police officer in Meghalaya said, “No formal or informal communication has been received from Bangladesh police. None of the accused named in the report have been traced in Garo Hills, and no arrests have been made.”

The report in Bangladesh media referring to its police had alleged that the two accused were assisted by local facilitators — Purti, who was claimed to have received them after the alleged crossing, and Sami, described as a taxi driver who supposedly transported them to Tura.

Meghalaya police while outright rejecting the claims said, “Neither Purti nor Sami has been identified, traced or arrested anywhere in Meghalaya. The narrative appears to have been constructed without verification or coordination with Indian authorities.”

In the wake of false propaganda in neighbouring Bangladesh, security sources said that Meghalaya police has stepped up border vigilance as a precautionary measure.

Pointing out that intelligence agencies have been alerted, security sources said that they are keeping a close watch on developments along the international border with Bangladesh in close coordination with the BSF.

Meanwhile, Border Security Force (Meghalaya Frontier) Inspector General OP Upadhayay has also refuted the claims of Bangladesh and told reporters in Shillong, “There is no evidence whatsoever of these individuals crossing the international border from the Haluaghat sector into Meghalaya. No such incident has been detected or reported by the BSF. These claims are baseless and misleading.” He asserted that the BSF operates strictly on verified intelligence and established border management protocols.

It is significant that a prominent Bangladeshi daily quoting Dhaka Metropolitan Police officials, claimed that the two suspects fled to India after the killing. At a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre, Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam claimed the suspects crossed via the Haluaghat border with the help of local associates.