15 hurt as BSF opens fire at villagers

Jaintapur border in Sylhet saw a three-hour gunfight on Sunday that erupted after the members of Border Security Force of India opened fire at Bangladesh villages leaving at least 15 persons injured.

Locals said more than a thousand gunshots were traded during the battle that forced many villagers to flee home to safer places.

The incidents took place only three days after the directors general of two forces met in New Delhi.

Villagers said about 40 Indian Khasia tribesmen trespassed into Bangladesh territory through Muktapur-Jaintapur borders around 10:30am.

They reached Mandir Tila, about 300 yards off the no man’s land, and were preparing to erect structures there. An hour later, one hundred more people joined them.

They turned down the request of villagers not to erect structure and at one stage they got locked into a battle.

Around 2:00pm, BSF opened fire on BDR members and civilians at Dibir Haor area forcing Bangladesh border guards to retaliate.

Lieutenant Colonel Zahirul Alam, commanding officer of 21 Rifles Battalion of BDR, Sylhet, could not confirm the number of gunshots traded in about three hours.

Zahirul said the attack on villagers was premeditated.

He alleged that some Indian khasias also took part in the battle under BSF escort.

Of the injured, Abul Kalam, 35, of Ghilartal Village was admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital and the others were taken to Jaintapur Upazila Health Complex.

The intruders however went back to India.

Tags:  bangladesh, bdr, india, tragedy