Aware of reports about BSF action at India-Bangladesh border: Miller

The United States is aware of the reports regarding Border Security Forces (BSF) action at the Bangladesh-India border, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Addressing a press briefing on Thursday (local time), Miller noted that Indian and Bangladeshi border security agencies are in communication and he would defer to them to speak about their respective investigations into the circumstances of the shooting.

Miller’s statement came in the wake of media reports claiming that Border Security Forces (BSF) killed two Bangladeshi men in Panchagarh’s Tetulia upazila on 8 May.

Asked about reports that two Bangladeshi citizens were shot by Indian security forces at the Bangladesh-India border, Miller said, “So, we are aware of the reports about this incident. We understand the Indian and Bangladeshi border security agencies are in communication with one another, and I would defer to them to speak to their respective investigations into the circumstances of the shooting.”

BSF North Bengal Frontier’s spokesperson said that the incident happened on the intervening night of 7-8 May.

According to the spokesperson, 8-10 cattle smugglers from Bangladesh attempted to cross the international border by cutting the fence with the intention of smuggling cattle. A patrolling party of BSF spotted them and challenged them.

The spokesperson told ANI, “The incident happened on the intervening night of 7-8 May around 23:30 hours. There were 8-10 cattle smugglers from Bangladesh who tried to cross the international border by cutting the fence with the intention of smuggling cattle. They entered 500 metres inside Indian territory. Meanwhile, a patrolling party of BSF saw them and they challenged them and initially lobbed non-lethal stun-grenade and chilli-grenade. This did not deter them.”

“Instead, the group of smugglers tried to surround the BSF troops, leading to firing by BSF. Two of the smugglers were cutting the fences. They were hit and they succumbed to their injuries. Their postmortem has been completed and further proceedings to hand over their bodies will be done afterwards,” the BSF spokesperson told ANI.

Similarly, cattle smuggling attempts were made on 17 and 29 April also. The smugglers tried to breach the fences. On those two occasions in the area under the jurisdiction of BOP Fakirpara of 176 Battalion of BSF.

Lt Colonel Jubayed Hasan, commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh-18 (BGB-18) said that the incident occurred near the Khaykhatpara border in the upazila around 12:30 am (local time), Bangladesh-based ‘The Daily Star’ reported.

After the incident, a flag meeting of the BGB-BSF was held at the zero line of the same border. For the meeting, SS Sirohi, commandant of the 176 BSF Battalion, led the Indian side, while BGB-18 CO Jubayed Hasan led the Bangladeshi side, according to The Daily Star report.

Earlier this April, Tripura Police apprehended three individuals suspected of illegal entry into India in Dharmanagar, North Tripura. The event unfolded on 29 April during a routine mobile patrol conducted by the Dharmanagar police station.

Upon noticing three individuals behaving suspiciously in Dharmanagar Bazar, one of the police personnel initiated a preliminary investigation. It was soon discovered that all three individuals were Bangladeshi nationals who had entered India without proper documentation, including passports.