India Expected to Return Body of High-Ranking Leader of Bangladesh’s Awami League Today

The body discovered on August 26, 2024, has been identified as belonging to a Bangladeshi passport holder. It is expected to be taken to the Dawki-Tamabil international border check post in Meghalaya and then transferred to Bangladesh, according to an official. The government of Meghalaya had previously stated that it is waiting for instructions from the Centre on the next steps to be taken following the recent recovery of the politician’s body. The deceased, Panna, had reportedly fled Bangladesh after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime and allegedly entered India illegally, likely through the Dona Bhoi area of East Jaiñtia Hills (EJH) District, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the Indo-Bangladesh border.

The body has been kept in the Khliehriat Civil Hospital’s morgue for identification. A post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was throttling. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who is in charge of Home (Police), has stated that higher authorities and the High Commissioners of Bangladesh and India have been informed about the body discovery. They are now awaiting instructions from the Home Ministry on the next steps to be taken.

Before the formal handover of the body, forensic test samples will be collected to aid in the investigation of the politician’s death. Tynsong also noted that the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs are handling the process, and the state government’s responsibility is only to hand over the body to the concerned family members once they arrive in Meghalaya.