BSF Hands Over Body of BD Youth Shot Near Hatibandha Border

The body of a Bangladeshi youth, who was shot and later died in Indian custody after being injured by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) near the Singimari border in Lalmonirhat’s Hatibandha upazila, was handed over to Bangladeshi authorities late Thursday night.

Patgram Police Station officer-in-charge Ashraful Zaman Sarkar said that the BSF and Indian police handed over the body of 23-year-old Hasinur Rahman to members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local police around 11pm on April 17.

The handover took place through the border point between Bangladesh’s Kharija Jongra area in Patgram and India’s Sitalkuchi under Cooch Behar district.

Sources said Hasinur succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday night (April 16) while undergoing treatment at MJN Medical College and Hospital in Cooch Behar, India.

According to local sources, Hasinur was shot and detained by BSF personnel around 11:45am on Wednesday while he was cutting grass with others near the Singimari border area.

While his companions managed to flee, Hasinur was injured and captured.

Members of the BSF’s Fulbari camp under the 157 Battalion allegedly beat him with rifle butts and sticks after he collapsed, and dragged him into Indian territory.

He was initially taken to a local hospital in the Sitalkuchi police station area, and later transferred to MJN Medical College in Cooch Behar, where he died in the evening.

Present during the handover were Commander Raj Kumar of the BSF’s Maheshmari camp (157 Battalion), the officer-in-charge of Sitalkuchi police station, Subedar Rezaul Islam from the 61 BGB Battalion’s Kharija Jongra camp, Patgram Police Station SI Tajrul Islam and the victim’s father Zahidul Islam, and uncle Rashidul Islam, reports UNB.