The Indian Border Security reportedly Force shot dead a mentally challenged Bangladeshi youth in the border in Chapainawabganj on Tuesday night, family and local people said.
The deceased was identified as Bablu Haque, 36, son of late Hossain Ali of Babupur Madhyapara village under Shibganj upazila in the district.
Sajibul Haque, brother of the deceased, said that his mentally challenged brother left home on Tuesday and did not return.
‘We came to know that Bablu was shot dead by BSF at 19 Bigha Field near Chakpara border at around 9am’, he said.
Sajibul said that he rushed to the nearby Border Guard Bangladesh camp following the incident and the officials there asked him to provide them necessary documents.
Ismail Haque Sayem, a member of Shahbazpur Union Parishad, said that he came to know on Wednesday morning that BSF shot Bablu dead and took his body to India.
He said that they became sure of the identity of Bablu as some people who were living in India and known to him sent some pictures of the deceased’s body. Border Guard Bangladesh Battalion-59 commanding officer Lt. Colonel Golam Kibira said that they heard that a youth was killed in a firing at the border.
‘But, the identity of the youth could not be verified as the body was taken to India’, he said, adding that they would contact the BSF in this regard.
Rights body Ain o Salish Kendra reported that at least twelve Bangladesh nationals were killed and nineteen others were injured by BSF between January and July in 2023.
At least 1,236 Bangladeshis were killed and 1,145 injured in shooting incidents by the Indian border force between 2000 and 2020, according to rights organisation Odhikar.