Meghalaya Police, BSF Deny Reports of Bangladesh Leader's Murder Suspects Crossing Border

Senior security officials in Meghalaya on Sunday dismissed reports circulating in sections of Bangladeshi media claiming that two suspects in the Osman Hadi murder case, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, had fled into India via the Haluaghat border in Mymensingh district and were present in Meghalaya. Authorities described the claims as false, unverified, and misleading, cautioning that such narratives risk creating confusion and disturbing the peace in the sensitive border state.

A senior official at the Meghalaya Police headquarters told HT that no formal or informal communication had been received from the Bangladesh police regarding the alleged crossing. “None of the accused named in the reports have been traced in Garo Hills, and no arrests have been made,” the official said.

The report, carried by a prominent Bangladeshi daily quoting Dhaka Metropolitan Police officials, also alleged that local facilitators—Purti, who supposedly received the accused, and Sami, a taxi driver alleged to have transported them to Tura—were involved. Meghalaya Police dismissed these claims, stating that neither individual has been identified, traced, or arrested, and no operational evidence exists to substantiate the story.

Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya Frontier Inspector General OP Upadhayay also refuted the claims, asserting, “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. These claims are baseless and misleading.”

Officials noted that this was not an isolated case of misinformation. A similar report in Bangladeshi media two weeks ago alleged that the BSF had shot dead two Bangladeshi infiltrators, which was later categorically denied by Indian authorities after verification.

Despite rejecting the allegations, Meghalaya Police said border vigilance has been enhanced as a precautionary measure, with intelligence sources activated and close coordination maintained with the BSF to prevent any misuse of border routes by criminal elements. “Enhanced security is a standard preventive step and should not be misconstrued as confirmation of false claims,” a police official clarified.

Both Meghalaya Police and the BSF reiterated that they remain open to cooperation with Bangladesh authorities but stressed that action will only be taken on verified information shared through formal channels, underscoring that media narratives cannot substitute factual verification.

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