Shillong, Aug 12 (NationPress) In a shocking turn of events, villagers discovered the sixth Bangladeshi national allegedly connected to an armed attack in a Meghalaya village near the India-Bangladesh border in the South West Khasi Hills district. Unfortunately, he later succumbed to his injuries, police confirmed on Tuesday.

The police from Meghalaya's South West Khasi Hills district reported that on the evening of August 11, they received alerts from the villagers of Kaithakona village about a seriously injured Bangladeshi national named Akram.

The villagers promptly transferred him to the Border Security Force (BSF), who, along with police officials, rushed him to Maheshkola Primary Health Centre (PHC). However, due to the absence of a medical officer, he was quickly moved to another PHC at Khonjoy, where he was declared dead upon arrival, according to a police statement.

Authorities have taken the deceased's body to the Civil Hospital in Mawkyrwat for a post-mortem examination, conducted under the supervision of a Magistrate, as per the guidelines set forth by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

A suo-motu case has been initiated at the Nonghyllam police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and investigations are ongoing to clarify the events surrounding the incident.

Akram was believed to be part of a group of eight to nine armed Bangladeshi men, who crossed into Rongdangai village on August 7 at midnight. They assaulted a local shopkeeper, Balsrang Marak, stealing cash and valuables before retreating back across the border.

Police stated that the Bangladeshi gang had kidnapped Marak, but he managed to escape and alert the villagers. The villagers, in collaboration with security personnel, eventually apprehended four members of the gang, including their leader, Mefus Rehman (35), while a fifth Bangladeshi national involved in the attack was arrested the following Sunday.

Rehman is reported to be a constable in the Bangladesh Police.

During a search operation on August 8, authorities recovered significant items including a Bangladesh Police identity card, medical prescriptions, wireless handsets, and explosives from the scene.

Those arrested hail from Comilla, Jamalpur, and Narayanganj districts of Bangladesh.

Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining members of the Bangladeshi group, according to officials.

Meghalaya Police, in conjunction with BSF units, have intensified their search along the India-Bangladesh border. Portions of the 443 km border in Meghalaya remain unfenced due to challenging terrain, including water bodies, forests, and mountains. However, border fencing is currently being constructed in certain areas to curb cross-border crime and the movement of hostile elements.

Authorities suspect that the intruders may have crossed through these vulnerable regions by swimming across bodies of water or utilizing underground culverts.

Additionally, on the morning of August 7, eight suspected Bangladeshi nationals infiltrated a stone quarry in Bagli, also located in the South West Khasi Hills district. Police initiated a search operation upon receiving intelligence, but the intruders managed to flee.