Politician Salahuddin Ahmed, whose mysterious and sudden appearance in Shillong in May 2015 sparked international intrigue, returned home to Bangladesh today.
After having been missing for two months, Ahmed of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) was found in Shillong wandering the golf course one morning. He was arrested for illegally entering the country but subsequently acquitted. Ahmed maintained that he had been kidnapped from Bangladesh and spirited over the border against his will.
With the BNP in opposition to the Sheikh Hasina government, Ahmed, though finally cleared by the courts in 2023, remained in India until today, when he judged it safe for him to return to his native land.
The Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Guwahati issued his travel pass on Tuesday, clearing the way for his return.
The BNP had alleged that Ahmed was abducted from his home in Dhaka on March 10, 2015, by individuals posing as detectives.
On October 26, 2018, a court in Shillong acquitted him of the charges related to his illegal entry and this was upheld by a higher court on February 28, 2023. It was this court that directed the Indian government to arrange for his return to Bangladesh.
