A Bangladeshi farmer was injured when members of India’s Border Security Force opened fire following an altercation over fishing in the River Mathabhanga along Daulatpur border in Kushtia on Saturday.
In protest, local Bangladeshi farmers working near the border detained an Indian national and handed him over to the Border Guard Bangladesh.
The incident took place at about 9:30am near the Jamalpur border area under Daulatpur upazila in the district.
The injured farmer was identified as Sahajul Islam, 32, son of Sahabaj, a resident of village Jamalpur in the upazila.
According to BGB and local people, Sahajul went for fishing in the Mathabhanga River in the morning, where an argument broke out between him and an Indian national near the zero line.
BSF personnel allegedly fired a round of birdshot at Sahajul when the dispute escalated into a physical altercation, leaving him with pellet and splinter injuries to his legs and other parts of his body.
Eyewitness Saiful Islam said that BSF members opened fire over a trivial matter, triggering tension and anger among residents along the border.
After the shooting, local Bangladeshi farmers rushed to the scene and rescued Sahajul from the spot.
Angered by the incident, they detained an Indian national from the nearby cropland and handed him over to the BGB.
In response to the firing, BGB personnel fired three blank rounds as a warning and in protest.
Confirming the matter, lieutenant colonel Rashed Kamal Rony, commanding officer of Kushtia BGB-47 Battalion, said that the BGB had lodged a strong protest with the BSF.
‘We have called for a flag meeting with the BSF to address the situation. Necessary action regarding the BSF firing and the detained Indian national is being taken in accordance with border protocols and existing laws,’ he said.
Two Indian nationals injured in a shooting at the Kurigram border are undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital under police custody.
Rangpur Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) police detained the two from a private clinic in the town and admitted them to the Rangpur Medical College Hospital early Monday.
The injured men have been identified as Ismail Hossain, 35, son of Abdul Karim Sheikh of Bheramara village in Sukchar upazila of Singmari district, Assam, and Abdul Anis alias Khaja, 39, son of Abdul Majid Mondal.
Police filed a case against the two with Rangpur Metropolitan Kotwali police station on Monday afternoon on charges of illegal entry into Bangladesh. The case, numbered 12, was filed by DB Sub-Inspector Abu Sayeed Babla, with DB’s SI Pranoy Krishna investigating.
Rangpur Metropolitan DB Deputy Commissioner Sanatan Chakraborty told Prothom Alo on Monday evening that the two Indian nationals had entered Bangladesh through the border in Daikhawa village of Saheber Alga union in Ulipur, Kurigram, on Sunday while bringing cattle from India.
“At that time, the BSF opened fire at them with a shotgun, seriously injuring them,” he said.
Sanatan Chakraborty said someone later rescued the two men and admitted them to a private clinic in Rangpur. Acting on a tip-off, DB members located them there and subsequently admitted them to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Hospital Director Brigadier General Ashiqur Rahman said the two bullet-hit Indian nationals were undergoing treatment and were in critical condition. They had sustained numerous gunshot wounds to various parts of their bodies, including their hands and chests.
Ismail Hossain, speaking to journalists from his hospital bed, said the BSF had detained them inside Indian territory on Sunday, mistaking them for Bangladeshis. “Later, they brought us to the Bangladesh border, shot us and left us there,” he said. Two residents of the Airmari Char area rescued them, he added.
Repeated attempts to contact Lieutenant Colonel Mahabub-ul-Haq, commanding officer of Kurigram 22 BGB Battalion, and Assistant Director Matiur Rahman for comment were unsuccessful, as neither answered their phones.
Two Indian nationals, Ismail Hossain and Abdul Anis, are under police custody at Rangpur Medical College Hospital after being shot at the Kurigram border. Police say they entered Bangladesh from India with cattle on Sunday, and India’s BSF opened fire. Detained from a private clinic, they face...
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