A Bangladeshi national who publicly admitted to lynching a police officer in 2024 entered India on a double-entry visa, travelled to New Delhi, and returned to Dhaka on Wednesday after being detected by immigration authorities at the airport.
Ahmed Reza Hasan Mahdi, 21, a resident of Habiganj district in Bangladesh, had earlier come under scrutiny after a video surfaced showing him inside a police station admitting that he and other activists had lynched and burnt to death Sub-Inspector Santosh Chowdhury Shubho on August 5, 2024. Though detained by Bangladesh Police, he was later released amid political pressure from the National Citizens Party (NCP), formed by leaders of the student movement. Several NCP members contested the February 12 elections, with six winning in alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami.
According to intelligence inputs, Mahdi was issued a double-entry visa by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Such visas are issued only from the main mission in Dhaka and not from assistant high commissions in other Bangladeshi cities.
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Mahdi is understood to have entered India through a crossing point in Bangladesh’s Feni district before travelling to New Delhi. He checked into a hotel in the Paharganj area near the New Delhi Railway Station and Connaught Place. Sources indicated that he was in the capital to pursue a visa application for Portugal and had visited the offices of VFS Global.
His presence in the city came to light after videos and photographs purportedly showing him at the visa processing centre went viral on social media on February 17. Following the circulation of these images, he allegedly attempted to avoid attention by moving through the crowded lanes around the Jama Masjid area.
On Wednesday, Mahdi reached Delhi airport to board a flight to Dhaka. Though he completed check-in procedures, he was identified by a Bureau of Immigration officer during scrutiny. After questioning, he was permitted to board the 1:40 pm flight and later landed in Dhaka.
Intelligence agencies are examining the circumstances under which the visa was granted despite Mahdi’s alleged involvement in a widely reported murder case in Bangladesh. The visa issuance process is expected to come under detailed review.
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