West Bengal: Bangladeshi smuggler killed in BSF firing

A 35-year-old Bangladeshi smuggler was allegedly killed and his accomplice injured on Sunday by BSF near Indo-Bangla border, officials said.

The incident occurred in the wee hours in northern Kurhigram area’s Roumari Upazila.

Baharul Islam was killed as India’s Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire at Purbochhat Karaibari area around 4 AM, bdnews24 quoted a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) outpost official as saying.

Another Bangladesh national, said to be the accomplice of Baharul, was also injured in the firing, the outpost’s commander Abdul Aziz said.

“Baharul Islam was a smuggler. That is why he had crossed the border so early in the morning and was shot,” he was quoted as saying by the report.

Aziz, while quoting locals, said troopers from BSF’s Gutalu camp fired at the Bangladeshis.

“A seriously injured Baharul tried to reach his home and died near his house,” he added.

Cattle smuggling, which is the “root cause” for firing incidents across the Indo-Bangla border, has dwindled to about one per cent in the past one year after India’s clampdown on the illegal trade, top Bangladeshi border guard officials have said.