Shillong, Aug 26: India’s Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday dismissed reports of a senior Awami League member from Bangladesh being killed by the BSF in Meghalaya sector, terming it a ‘blatant lie’ being circulated by vested interest groups and clarified that the body was found deep inside Bangladesh territory.The frontier force of India, which is known for its clean track record, issued a strongly worded statement to clarify on the stories being circulated in the neighbouring country attributing the death of Ishaque Ali Khan Panna, former General Secretary of Chhatra League (student wing) of Awami League, at the hands of the border force.
While one section of Bangladesh media blamed the BSF and claimed Panna was shot and killed by the BSF, another alleged he died of a heart attack, while sneaking into India.
A senior BSF official said that this couldn’t have been further from the truth. “The body was found inside Bangladesh, which is far away from the Dawki border,” the official said.
Bangladesh media has reported that Panna was trying to sneak into India and climbing the hills to reach Shillong. But during his ascent he probably died due to a heart attack. The reports also said Panna could have been killed by the BSF, quoting anonymous sources.
But intelligence sources indicate that a witch hunt of Awami League functionaries and leaders is being carried out by members of the radical and pro-Pakistan group Jamaat-e-Islami inside Bangladesh ever since Hasina’s government collapsed in the face of student protests.
With reprisal attacks widespread in Bangladesh, many Awami League leaders have either gone into hiding or fled the country. Panna happened to be one of them seeking a safe sanctuary when his life was cut short. Highly placed sources have revealed that Panna and another pro Hasina acquaintance, (retired) Justice of Bangladesh Supreme Court, Shamsuddin Manik fled Dhaka together with an intention to cross over to India, using the help of a handler.
But the handler is said to have betrayed the duo and handed them over to be lynched either by the Jamaat members or revenge seeking Bangladeshi villagers. Panna was reportedly killed, while Justice (retd) Manik was caught by the Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB) and returned to Dhaka where he remains in judicial custody. Justice (retd) Manik had defended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in TV debates during the student protest. He is, therefore, now considered as the enemy of the state in Bangladesh, sources added. Panna, on the other hand, was a senior Awami League cadre who also owns an insurance company in Bangladesh. He held several important positions in the Awami League over the years.
