Police have identified a resort in Sylhet's Ratargul area as the location of a meeting addressed by former Awami League lawmaker Ranjit Sarker, ending speculation over whether a viral video of the gathering was recorded in Bangladesh or across the border in India.

The meeting took place on Sunday evening at Sohel Square Eco Resort near Ratargul Swamp Forest in Gowainghat upazila, according to Sunamganj Superintendent of Police ABM Zakir Hossain.

Hossain said investigators established the location after questioning Tara Mia, an Awami League leader from Tahirpur, who was detained in Sunamganj on Tuesday.

"Based on information provided by Tara Mia, we visited Sohel Square Eco Resort in Ratargul and obtained details about the meeting," the police superintendent said.

According to the officer, a lawyer had booked the resort for November 8, describing the programme as an educational trip.

An educational trip banner was initially displayed at the venue before Ranjit arrived and addressed the gathering beneath a banner announcing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's return.

The banner read, "Sheikh Hasina will return, Bangladesh will smile," and identified Awami League units from Tahirpur, Jamalganj, Dharmapasha and Madhyanagar as the organisers.

Ranjit, a former MP for Sunamganj-1 and organisational secretary of the Awami League's Sylhet district unit, reportedly left the venue shortly after delivering his speech.

A video of the gathering, lasting about five and a half minutes, was uploaded to his Facebook account on Monday afternoon.

In the footage, Ranjit claimed he had returned to Bangladesh and addressed party supporters, pledging to continue political activities until Hasina returned to the country.

The video prompted widespread speculation about his whereabouts, with some social media users suggesting that the meeting had taken place in India.

Police subsequently launched an investigation to establish the location.

According to law enforcers, lawyer Rokon Mia from Jamalganj had booked the resort, while approximately 175 people attended the programme.

"They told us it was an educational trip. There were 175 people," a resort employee said.

The employee said the organisers paid 10,000 taka in advance against a total bill of approximately 52,000 taka and left the resort at around 9pm.

Gowainghat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Omar Faruk Moral said police had received information that the participants arrived in a tourist bus displaying an educational trip banner.

"We have received information that they came in a tourist bus with an educational trip banner and held the meeting. Police are working to establish the facts and take legal action," he said.

The report said attempts to contact the resort owner and the lawyer who booked the venue were unsuccessful because their phones were switched off.

Ranjit had remained largely out of public view since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024.

His appearance in the video also triggered protests in Sylhet, where his house in the Gopaltilla area was reportedly set on fire on Monday night.

Police have not yet announced whether any charges will be filed in connection with the meeting.