Villager killed by Bangladesh border guards in Tripura
A day after the government suspended eight Border Security Force (BSF) personnel for allegedly thrashing a Bangladeshi youth in Murshidabad village along the border and ordered a high-level probe into the incident, an Indian villager was shot dead allegedly by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Sonamura, 75 km southeast of Tripuras capital Agartala, early Friday morning.
Four BGB troopers who were apparently part of a regular patrol entered the Indian territory allegedly and shot Shah Alam Mia, 40, after an altercation. While they were allegedly trying to drag his body inside the Bangladeshi territory, villagers chased them and caught hold of one of the BGB personnel who is now in custody of Tripura police.
We visited the site and found bloodspots near the backyard of his house (Alam) which is right on the zero line of the international border. His toothbrush was found near the bloodspots, 4 to 5 metre from the border pillar. Shah Alam was killed by the BGB inside Indian territory and we have strongly objected during the BSF-BGB Flag Meeting, said the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Sonamura, Shankar Chakraborty, confirming the incident to TEHELKA over the phone.
According to BSF sources, the BGB troopers entered the bordering Tarapukur village, under Jatrapur police station. Alam was reportedly brushing his teeth at the border point, opposite Comilla area in Bangladesh, when the troopers got into an altercation with him. I was reading when I heard a shout. When I went outside, I saw the BGB personnel were beating my uncle. The troopers threatened to shoot him when he asked them as to why they had entered India. When my uncle protested, they immediately shot him, said Sajjad Hussain, nephew of Alam and one of the eyewitnesses.
According to locals, while the four BGB troopers were trying to drag Alams body inside Bangladesh, an angry mob hearing the gunshot chased them and captured one of the personnel who was identified as Lutfur Rehaman, of the 4th Battalion. Kala Mia, brother of the deceased, said, They fired four rounds while trying to drag the body.
Meanwhile, Rehana Bibi, wife of the deceased, has lodged an FIR against the detained BGB trooper, who will be produced before the court at Sonamura under the Foreigners Act.
The BSF dispatched extra troops to the area and an emergency Flag Meeting between the two neighbours was held. We will not be able to confirm the motive for the incident. But we have already taken up the matter with our counterpart in Dhaka, and the Home Ministry is also aware. Alert has been sounded on the border and vigil along the eastern frontier will be increased, a senior BSF official from the BSF headquarters in New Delhi told TEHELKA. During the last BSF-BGB talks, emphasis was laid on reducing attacks on unarmed civilians across the border.
The incident comes close on the heels of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas two-day visit to Tripura on 11 January during which she stressed better cross-border ties
