Another Bangladeshi man shot dead by ‘Indian Khasi’ in Sylhet border area

Border Guard Bangladesh reports that a Bangladeshi man was shot dead by an Indian citizen of the Khasi people near the border in Sylhet’s Gowainghat Upazila.

The incident took place on Friday evening 200 yards inside India in the Pillar 1261 area of the Damdamiya border in Bichanakandi Union of the Upazila, BGB-48 Battalion Commander Lt Col Md Hafizur Rahman confirmed in a press release around 1am on Saturday.

The victim was identified as 22-year-old Sobuj Mia, who hailed from Pahartali village in the union.

According to locals, he was involved in smuggling cows from India.

The BGB says Sobuj and several others had entered India and had gone onto land belonging to the Khasi people. There was conflict between them and an Indian Khasi citizen fired upon them using a pellet gun. Sobuj was shot.

A BGB patrol team went to the Pillar 1261 area based on a tip-off. After some time, Sobuj’s family informed the BGB that he had been missing since the afternoon. It was learnt later in the night that Sobuj had been brought back to Bangladesh by his associates through the jungle. The family then informed the BGB that they had found his body. They also reported the matter to the police.

Lt Col Rahman noted in a press statement that, “A letter of protest has been submitted from the BGB company commander level calling for the Indian citizen to be brought to justice immediately.”

Earlier on Thursday, a teenager named Maruf Ahmed was shot dead by Khasi people in the Minatila border area in Sylhet’s Jaintapur Upazila.

Maruf hailed from Kendri Jhingabari village in the Upazila.

This means that two Bangladeshis have been shot dead by Indian Khasi citizens in 24 hours.