Tension caused by firing at Indo-Bangla border

Two bullets out of the major exchange of gunfire at the Indo-Bangla border near north Bengal’s South Dinajpur district between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) on Tuesday did cost the life of a boy, who was shot on the back while cycling to school and a BSF jawan seriously injured.

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The firing that started at 9 am lasted after three hours was allegedly initiated by the BDR. The whole incident commenced in the morning while a BSF jawan was on patrolling found some activity on the other side of the border and tried to stop some goons carrying bags of fertilisers across the border.

The goons then dragged forcefully the BSF jawan named Omprakash Yadav into the other side of the border. Kids playing around the border started shouting on looking this. Jawans challenged the Bangladeshi goons, which answered by throwing bombs at them. And, when the BSF jawans opened fire, the BDR retaliated.

Just after getting the information of firing at the border additional BSF forces with the commandant of 28 Battalion along with deputy inspector-general P S Tomar of BSF's Malda range and police from Hili police station had rushed to the spot to assist the jawans involved in the firing. Residents said thousands of bullets were fired, but Tomar put the total at 450.

In the firing that followed, an Indian boy Tinku Roy aged 14 years was shot in the shoulder. The boy was rushed to the Balurghat district hospital, where he was declared dead. The BSF jawan was admitted to the hospital after being hit by bullet in the leg.

After few hours the abducted jawan, Subedar Omprakash Singh was returned to BSF.

Additional police superintendent Imran Wahab, who visited the spot, said “Singh was released around 4.30pm after a flag meeting in which Tomar and the BDR’s Dinajpur sector commandant participated.”

In case of a protest, the BDR can argue that since the man was not in uniform, they were justified in detaining him as a trespasser. Singh’s uniform was torn was taken away for questioning.

The BSF was allegedly planning to lodge a protest against the “unprovoked firing”.

Although the gunfire stopped after a flag meeting, yet the tensions were still prevailed at the border.