BSF pellet fire kills two Bangladeshis in Brahmanbaria: BGB

Two alleged Bangladeshi smugglers were killed after members of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire with pellet guns along the border in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria late last night, according to a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) press release issued today.

One of them were identified as Md Mursalin, 20, of Dhajanagar village in Kasba upazila.

Mursalin was an 11th-grade student of Gopinathpur Alhaz Shah Alam Degree College, said Kasba Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shamiul Islam.

According to the BGB statement, the BSF confirmed that both men died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in India after suffering injuries during the incident.

BGB said that, based on intelligence information, around 15 Bangladeshi smugglers entered approximately 200 yards inside Indian territory through the Dhajanagar-Pathariyadwar border area around 11:05pm yesterday with assistance from Indian smugglers.

The statement said that, while returning with smuggled goods from India, the group was intercepted by a patrol team from the Pathariyadwar camp of the 49 BSF Battalion.

At one stage, the Bangladeshi smugglers allegedly attacked BSF personnel, leading to a scuffle and physical altercation, the release added.

During the clash, a BSF member fired two rounds of pellet at the smugglers, according to BGB.

The statement said the commanding officer of the 60 BGB Battalion (Sultanpur Battalion) has contacted the BSF commandant regarding the repatriation of the bodies.

A protest note is being sent to the BSF, while arrangements for a flag meeting between the two border forces are underway, the statement added.

BGB also claimed that the two men had previously been directly involved in transporting smuggled goods across the border.