Another Bangladeshi shot dead by ‘Indian Khasias’ at Sylhet border

One more Bangladeshi citizen was reportedly shot dead by the Khasias living in India at the Sylhet border last night (27 December), just a day after a Bangladeshi individual was murdered in the same way.

The deceased was identified as Sobuj Mia, 22, son of Abul Hossain of Bhitorgul village under Sylhet's Gowainghat upazila.

Sobuj's associates brought his body back to Bangladesh side from Indian territory around 11:45pm yesterday. Later, police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials recovered the body from Gowainghat's Domdomiya border area, according to BGB sources.

Earlier, on Thursday (26 December), a 16-year-old Bangladeshi boy named Maruf Mia from Jaintiapur upazila was shot dead by the Khasias.

According to BGB, Sobuj and several other Bangladeshis illegally went to the area in India where Khasia's live on Friday night. At one point, a conflict started between the Bangladeshis and the Khasias.

After the Khasias opened fire, Sobuj was hit by the bullets and his body remained on that side of the border in India, said BGB sources.

BGB Domdomiya BOP's Subedar Mizanur Rahman said, "The incident happened some 200 metres inside Indian border pillar No 1261. Receiving the information, BGB members rushed to the spot, where Sobuj's family members said they could not find him since the afternoon."

"Around 11:45pm, Sobuj's associates brought back his body to the Bangladesh side of the border where BGB and police officials recovered it," he said.

Contacted, Gowainghat police station Officer-in-Charge Sarkar Tofael Ahmed said Sobuj's father Abul Hossain has lodged a general diary at the police station.

Asked about the matter, BGB's Sylhet 48th Battalion Commander Lt Col Hafizur Rahman said, "We have talked with India's Border Security Force commandant and lodged a strong protest against the incident.

"We have also asked them to take immediate and exemplary legal steps against the perpetrators."