Indian media falsely blames BGB for killing of Swarna Das, mentions 'communal persecution' as reason 

An Indian media outlet, OpIndia, has claimed that the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) shot Swarna Das dead in the morning on 2 September, when she, along with her parents, was illegally going to India to escape ‘ongoing religious persecution of Hindus in the Islamic Nation.’ 

The incident came to light when the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) spotted the body at the zero point. The Bangladeshi authorities were unable to retrieve her body as she died within Indian territory.

The OpIndia quoted Tripura Times while blaming the BGB firing for Swarna Das' death. However, neither the OpInida, nor the Tripura Times mentioned any direct statement from the victim's family or any of the Indian authorities in favour of their claims. Both the reports were based on anonymous sources.  

Also, the Tripura Times did not mention any communal violence of persecution on the Hindus in Bangladesh.

Swarna Das, a class-eight student of Nirod Bihari High School, was the younger daughter of Porendra Das and Sanjita Rani Das from Kalnigar village in Paschim Juri union under Juri upazila.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, the parents said their elder son has long been in Tripura in India. On the fateful day, Swarna Das, along with her mother, attempted to cross into India illegally to visit her elder brother through the Lalarchak border with the assistance of two local brokers. 

When they reached the fence on the Indian side around 9:00 pm, some BSF personnel opened fire at them, resulting in Swarna’s death on the spot and injuries to other fellow trespassers. Sanjita Rani Das narrowly escaped the firing and took refuge in a nearby residence before returning home. 

Nayek Obayed, commander of the Lalarchak Border Outpost of BGB, said on the day that they came to know that one person died in BSF firing, but they were yet to get the body back from the Indian side. 

Sanjita Rani Das categorically mentioned that her daughter was shot dead by BSF. Also, they did not allege any communal violence on them. 

Meanwhile, the foreign affairs ministry lodged a formal protest to the government of India on the killing of Swarna Das. It reminded that such incidents of border killing are undesirable and unwarranted and such actions are in violation of the provisions of the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, 1975.

The interim government of Bangladesh also called upon the government of India to stop repetition of such heinous acts and conduct enquiries into all border killings, identify the responsible persons and bring them to justice.