Bangladesh border guards ‘shoot dead Indian soldier’ in rare incident

A routine meeting between the two security forces went terribly wrong when an Indian border patrol sought to negotiate the release of a fisherman detained by Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi guards caught three Indians fishing in the Padma River in West Bengal, which serves as a border line between the two states. Two of the men were subsequently released but a third was kept in custody, according to the Indian media, citing security sources.

The BSF sent a six-member team to resolve the issue, but the situation soon went completely off course when the Bangladeshis would not release the man and even tried to surround the Indian troops, a BSF spokesman told the Indian media.

The Indians attempted to retreat as they felt “the situation was worsening” and that was when the Bangladeshis opened fire, the military claimed. A Head Constable identified as Vijay Bhan Singh sustained several injuries to his head and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Another member of the team also received injuries to his hand.

The BSF alerted both the Indian Interior Ministry and the Foreign Ministry about the incident and security on the border has been tightened.Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi security services launched an inquiry into the deadly stand-off.

Relations between the two border services have been quite cordial for more than a decade, according to the Indian media. They even have a coordinated border management plan and meet biannually to discuss any arising issues.

The last reported deadly shooting between the two forces dates back to 2005 when a BSF serviceman was killed by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) – the predecessors of the modern border guard force. The BDR was disbanded and reorganized following a mutiny four years later.

The latest shooting comes just weeks after Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited New Delhi where she struck a series of deals on water-sharing and other issues.