A Bangladeshi man was shot dead by members of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) early Friday, along the border near Panchagarh Sadar upazila. The victim, 40-year-old Anwar Hossain of Amjowani village in Debnagar union, Tetulia upazila, was killed at sub-pillar 8/9 of main pillar 751, near Mominpara in Haribhasa union, Panchagarh Sadar upazila, and Singpara in India. He was the son of Rafiqul Islam. According to the Nilphamari 56 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion, Anwar and several others crossed into India Thursday night to bring back cattle. While returning in the early morning, they were intercepted by the BSF’s 93 Battalion from Chanakya Camp. The BSF claimed the group of Bangladeshis, armed with weapons, attacked them. In response, the BSF said they first fired a sound grenade and then live rounds in self-defense, injuring Anwar. The group fled, but Anwar managed to cross back into Bangladesh, where he collapsed and died. The BSF reportedly seized two cattle during the confrontation. The BGB discharged eight rounds of blank fire to deter further violence and seized one smuggled cow from the Bangladeshi side. Lt Col Sheikh Mohammad Badruddoza, commander of the Nilphamari 56 BGB Battalion, visited the scene with Haribhasa Union Parishad Chairman Syed Nure Alam and strongly condemned the killing. A formal protest letter was sent to the BSF by Col Muhammad Touhidur Rahman, sector commander of the BGB Sector Headquarters in Thakurgaon. The BGB labeled the killing an unjustified act of aggression. BNP's Mosharraf accuses India of trying to destabilise interim govt The body of Anwar Hossain was found within Bangladeshi territory. Sub-Inspector Mohammad Abu Taher of Panchagarh Sadar Police Station confirmed that the BGB assisted in recovering the body, which was taken to the police station. It will be handed over to the family following a post-mortem examination.

A suspected Bangladeshi cattle lifter was gunned down allegedly by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along Panchagarh border on Friday morning, said Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The development comes at the time when tension has heightened between the neighbouring countries over the attack on Bangladesh mission in Tripura’s Agartala. The deceased was identified as Anwar Hossain, son of Rafiqul Islam of Debangarh area under Debangarh union of the district’s Tetulia upazila. Some villagers, including Anwar, allegedly trespassed into India through Haribhasa union early Friday, said Lt. Col Sheikh Mohammad Badruddoza, commandant of the BGB-56 Battalion in Nilphamari, who visited the spot and talked to the media.  Panchagarh falls under the battalion. The BSF claimed that when the alleged smugglers tried to attack them with weapons, forcing them to retaliate by firing. Anwar died on the spot. Read: Bangladeshi youth ‘tortured by BSF’ near Feni border Later, the BSF took away his body, said the BGB official who talked to his BSF counterpart. Hearing the sound of firing from the border, the BGB also blank fired, he said. A flag meeting will be called to bring back the body, the BGB official said, adding that they will formally protest the incident.