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TL;DR
- Awami League leaders, activists, and police officers secretly leaving Bangladesh to escape public anger and arrest after Sheikh Hasina’s government fell due to student-public uprising
- Many have crossed the border into India, paying brokers and immigration officials crores of taka, with no one entering for less than 20 lakhs
- Obaidul Quader, Awami League general secretary, crossed the border under special guard from Jessore on August 6, a day after Sheikh Hasina fled
- Ishaq Ali Khan Panna, former general secretary of central Chhatra League, killed by Indian brokers while trying to escape to India, causing anger among locals who are handing over suspected individuals to BGB
Former Awami League government ministers, members of parliament (MPs), leaders and activists at various levels of the party, as well as several senior police officers, are secretly leaving the country to escape public anger and arrest following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government due to the student-public uprising.
Many have already secretly crossed the border and left the country. Some have been arrested while trying to escape by ‘managing’ brokers and immigration. Some have even paid crores of taka to enter India with the help of broker syndicates. However, according to reliable sources, no one has been able to enter for less than 20 lakhs.
Apart from a few former ministers, most individuals have chosen the Indian border to leave the country. They have used the Jessore, Brahmanbaria, Comilla, Habiganj, Sylhet, Hili in Dinajpur and Banglabandha border in Panchagarh to leave the country. Multiple rings have emerged at various borders to facilitate their crossing. Members of these rings are making huge sums of money by crossing influential people, according to a report by the daily Jugantor.
The report further states that Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the Awami League, went to Jessore at midnight on August 5 after Sheikh Hasina fled. He was given shelter in an important safe place there. The next day, he crossed the border under special guard, according to several responsible sources in Jessore and Benapole. However, they were not willing to reveal their identities.
However, apart from Benapole, several Awami League leaders entered India through the adjacent Putkhali Ghat area. Ishaq Ali Khan Panna, former general secretary of the central Chhatra League, was killed at the Indian border while trying to escape to India by taking risks. The brokers on the Indian side killed him by strangulation after torturing him alone. Panna’s semi-decomposed body was recovered by the West Bengal police after lying for several days.
Those involved say that many locals are angry as one Awami League leader after another has been able to escape to India with the help of brokers. For this reason, if someone unknown is seen in the area and suspected, they are being caught and handed over to the BGB.
News Souce: Ittefaq
