3 'smugglers' hurt in BGB firing

Three alleged smugglers sustained bullet-injuries when members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) opened fire on a group of people near Lalitarhat border under Kuchlibari union in Patgram upazila on Tuesday night.

The injured are Jahedul Islam, son of Nazrul Islam, Mohammad Ali, son of Afzal Hossain, and Shafiqul Islam, son of Younus Ali. They all hail from different villages under the union.

BGB sources said a local gang attacked a patrol team of the border guards around 8:00pm soon after the BGB men detained Jahedul along with smuggled Indian tobacco loaded on two rickshaw-vans. 

At one stage, the BGB men fired several gunshots in self defence and to bring the situation under control, leaving three smugglers injured with bullets, said Lt Col Ahmed Bazlur Rahman, commanding officer of BGB 15 Battalion in Lalmonirhat.

The injured were rushed to Patgram Upazila Health Complex, from where they were shifted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital as their condition deteriorated.

Hamidul Haque, chairman of Kuchlibari Union Parishad, said Jahedul is a businessman, not a smuggler. 

The BGB men detained him while he was taking tobacco to Patgram upazila headquarters for sale, added Hamidul.