Mystery Surrounds Recovery of Awami League Leader's Body in Meghalaya

Meghalaya Police discovered the semi-decomposed body of Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna near the Indo-Bangladesh border. Panna was reportedly on the run after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. Conflicting reports suggest the cause of death might be cardiac arrest or a shooting incident.

Meghalaya Police have recovered the semi-decomposed body of Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna in a remote betelnut plantation in the Jaintia Hills district, close to the Bangladesh border. Officials identified the body on August 26 using Panna's passport, according to SP Giri Prasad.

Panna, a former general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and a notable figure in the Awami League from Pirojpur district, had been evading capture since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. The body has been taken to Khliehriat Civil Hospital for further identification and processing, officials said.

Initial reports suggest that Panna might have succumbed to a cardiac arrest while attempting to cross the border. In contrast, some accounts speculate he could have been involved in a shooting incident with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

(With inputs from agencies.)