Bangladesh Crisis: BNP MP Salahuddin Ahmed Returns to Dhaka from Meghalaya after 9 years

Former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP, Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday returned to his country, Bangladesh, after staying over nine years in India’s Meghalaya.

The former leader landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2:15 pm.

As per inputs, a large number of leaders and activists of BNP received him at the airport.

While speaking to Northeast Live, Ahmed said, “I’m always eager to return to my native country.”

He further added, “People of Bangladesh strongly believed that Sheikh Hasina was responsible for my disappearance and that of my colleagues. They are not as fortunate to live, but fortunately I am.”

Ahmed, who was a close aide of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, left the country on March 10, 2015. At least 62 days after his disappearance, Indian police rescued him from Meghalaya’s Shillong on May 11 of that year.

Meghalaya police at the time claimed he was detained while wondering about the streets in Shillong. Meghalaya police later filed a case against Ahmed under the ForeignersAct for illegal entry to the country.

The lower court in Meghalaya on July 22 of that year framed charges against Salahuddin for illegal trespassing.
On October 26, 2018, a court in Shillong acquitted him of the charges related to his illegal entry. This verdict was upheld by a higher court on February 28, 2023, which also directed the Indian government to arrange for his return to Bangladesh.

On May 8, 2023, Salahuddin applied to the Assam state government for travel.

As per Prothom Alo English, he applied for a travel pass from the Meghalaya state government and got it issued on June 8, 2023. But the pass alone was not sufficient for his return. He also needs an ‘exit pass’ as per bilateral repatriation rules.

Meanwhile, Salahuddin’s passport expired on July 11, 2016, and he has not been able to renew his passport since then.

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