Body of AL leader Panna found in Meghalaya: Indian police

The decomposed body of Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna was recovered from a betelnut plantation in the Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, near the India-Bangladesh border, according to PTI. 

The body was discovered on the evening of 26 August, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the border, reports the Indian national media. 

Meghalaya Police identified Panna through his passport. The body has been sent to Khliehriat Civil Hospital for further identification and processing, reported PTI, quoting the district’s superintendent of Police (SP).

Panna, a former general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and a notable Awami League member from Pirojpur district, had been in hiding following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August, according to family sources. He attempted to escape to India through Sylhet after the government’s collapse.

On the morning of 26 August, Panna, along with others, reportedly crossed into Meghalaya through the Tamabil area in Sylhet. They reached a nearby mountain by 6am, where Panna experienced severe breathing problems and was unable to continue walking. He is believed to have died while on the way.

Other reports suggest that Panna might have died while being pursued by the Border Security Force (BSF). Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.