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April 19 border killing was the result of self-defence: BSF


Published : 21 Apr 2020 09:09 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 08:44 PM

The Border Security Force (BSF) has said that the death of a Bangladeshi teenager in Ratanibari Prodhanpara in Panchagarh along the Indian border was the result of self-defense as a last resort by its jawan.

“Sensing the danger to his life, the jawan fired his service weapon in self-defense as a last resort and also to prevent snatching his weapon by the villagers,” the BSF said following media reports.

“In this attack by Bangladeshi villagers, the BSF jawan also sustained injury and was later admitted to hospital for treatment. The BSF later learnt that one Bangladeshi citizen got injured and died later.”

The BSF said the Prodhanpara village where the incident occurred is located very close to the international border and the villagers from Bangladesh regularly try to graze their cattle inside the Indian territory by violating the sanctity of the India-Bangladesh border.

In a similar incident, on April 18 evening, the cattle of the villagers were found to be grazing inside the Indian territory and they were seized by the BSF troops of BOP Bharat, Ex-21 Bn, Jalpaiguri district opposite BGB BOP Jai Dharbhanga, Ex-56 BGB, Panchagarh, Bangladesh.

These seized cattle were later handed over back to the villagers in presence of BGB personnel of BOP Jai Dharbhanga and the BGB was requested to educate the border population on the necessity to maintain the sanctity of the international border.

However, again on April 19, the villagers illegally entered into the Indian territory for cattle grazing and ignored the caution by the BSF jawan.

At about 3pm, the villagers started abusing the BSF jawan on duty and subsequently a large number of villagers illegally entered into the Indian territory and attempted to injure him.

They started pelting stones and assaulted him with bamboo sticks.

The BSF officials telephonically appraised the commanding officer of 56 BGB about the repeated violation of the international border by the villagers and also about the assault on the BSF personnel on duty by the villagers after crossing the international boundary.