Two Bangladeshis killed by BSF gunfire in Sunamganj, Thakurgaon

Two Bangladeshis have reportedly been killed by gunfire from India’s Border Security Force (BSF) in separate incidents along the Sunamganj and Thakurgaon borders.

The shootings occurred at the Baganbari border in Sunamganj’s Dowarabazar Upazila on Friday night, and at the Minapur border in Thakurgaon in the early hours of Saturday, according to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials.

Sunamganj-28 BGB Commander Lt Col AKM Zakaria Qadir said, “A Bangladeshi has died from BSF gunfire while attempting to bring cows across the border from India illegally.”

The dead man, identified as Shafiqul Islam, 45, was a resident of Bhangapara village of Lakshmipur Union.

Citing relatives and the BGB, Dowarabazar Police Station chief Zahidul Haque said Shafiqul was part of a group of 10 to 12 people who illegally crossed into India to retrieve the cattle, prompting members of a BSF patrol team to open fire on them.

He added that the other cattle smugglers brought the critically injured Shafiqul home and then left. Shafiqul’s relatives then took him to the Dowarabazar Upazila Health Complex around 2:30am, where doctors declared him dead.

The officer said Shafiqul was directly shot in the chest and his body was kept in the morgue for autopsy.

Lt Col Quadir said a formal protest has been lodged and a flag meeting requested over the matter.

“Border surveillance has also been intensified,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lt Col Abdullah Al Moin Hasan, commander of Dinajpur-42 BGB battalion, said a youth was killed in a shooting incident near pillar No. 353 in Haripur Upazila’s Minapur around dawn.

The incident took place approximately 200 yards inside Indian territory, and the body of the dead man remains there.

The victim, identified as 24-year-old Askar Ali, was the son of Kanura from Jibonpur village in the Upazila.

Citing locals, the BGB said Askar and several others had approached a barbed-wire fence near the border pillar around 4am when BSF personnel from India’s Kishanganj battalion opened fire on them. Askar was struck by bullets and died on the spot.

Following the incident, the BGB deployed additional troops along the border to bolster security, while Indian authorities have reportedly reinforced BSF personnel on their side.

Lt Col Abdullah added that the BGB has formally called for a flag meeting to facilitate the repatriation of Askar’s body.

The situation remains tense along the border as both sides await further diplomatic engagement.