New Delhi: A Bangladesh smuggler was killed in retaliatory action on Monday after he and his group infiltrated into border areas of Salpokar in Tripura, news agency PTI reported citing its official sources. The Bangladesh smugglers, armed with sharp weapons, tried to smuggle contraband into India, they said. The group comprised 12 to 15 smugglers and the incident took place around 6 pm at Salpokar, Gokul Nagar, Tripura, the sources said.
What happened at the India-Bangladesh border
The BSF personnel on duty spotted the infiltrators and called in other jawans when one of them was overpowered and attacked by the group, they said. One round of fire was opened in the air at a distance of about 40 metres upon which some of these miscreants fled back to Bangladesh, the sources said. Others, however, encircled a BSF jawan and attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon (dah), and overpowered him, making him fall down, they said.
Sensing danger and to save his life, the jawan fired two rounds from his service weapon after which the other miscreants fled to Bangladesh, the sources said. On checking the area, one Bangladeshi smuggler was found dead, they said. According to the official sources, the butt of the rifle of the BSF jawan got damaged in the scuffle and he suffered cut wounds on his left arm, bruises on the neck and internal injuries. He is currently undergoing treatment.
'Miscreants' abduct BSF jawan while patrolling
Earlier last month, the Border Security Force lodged a "strong protest" with its Bangladeshi counterpart BGB after its jawan was "abducted" by "miscreants" from the neighbouring country while patrolling the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. The jawan was handed back by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) following a flag meeting between the two sides, it said.
The trooper was kidnapped by a group of 15-20 "illegal Bangladeshi miscreants" while he was undertaking a routine patrol near the Biral border in the Dinajpur area of West Bengal. "The miscreants crossed into Indian territory and forcibly took the BSF jawan into Bangladesh and was put in the custody of the BGB," a BSF statement said.
In response to this "alarming" situation, the BSF said, its North Bengal Frontier Inspector General headquartered in Siliguri "promptly reached out to the Region Commander of the North West Region, BGB, demanding the immediate release of the abducted jawan." The force said it has "condemned this act of aggression and lodged a formal protest against the actions of the Bangladeshi miscreants."
It said the force has "emphasised the importance of maintaining peaceful relations along the border and urged the BGB to instruct its citizens to refrain from such unlawful activities." "The BSF remains committed to its policy of "ZERO FIRING" along the border and seeks cooperation from BGB to ensure safety and security for all," it said.
The force said it "actively worked to secure the safe return of its personnel, and the jawan was returned by BGB after the meeting between the Sector Commanders."
It is worth mentioning India and Bangladesh share a 4,096 km border guarded by the BSF and the BGB respectively and the Indian force has been on an alert mode since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka on August 5.
(With inputs from agency)
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