MOULVIBAZAR, Sept 3: A teenager was killed in gunfire from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in Kulaura, Moulvibazar last Sunday.
The incident occurred on Sunday night at the Lalarchak border area under Sharifpur union but came to light on Monday night (September 2).
The deceased, Swarna Das (16), was the daughter of Porendra Das from Kalnigar village in Paschim Juri union under Juri upazila.
Porendra Das said that his eldest son lives in Tripura, India. Swarna and her mother attempted to cross into India illegally to visit his son on Sunday night through the Lalarchak border with the assistance of two local brokers. Upon reaching the fence on the Indian side around 9 pm, BSF personnel opened fire, resulting in Swarna's immediate death. Swarna's mother narrowly escaped the incident.
A team from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) came to their house on Monday night to inform them of the tragedy. They also mentioned that the BSF took Swarna's body, the grief-stricken father said,Nayek Obayed, commander of the Lalarchak Border Outpost of BGB, said, "I have heard that one person died due to BSF firing while a few Bangladeshis were attempting to cross into India illegally."
Binay Bhushan Roy, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kulaura Police Station, said that no formal report of the incident has been made, but he is currently investigating the matter. —UNB
