BGB goes berserk in Phulbarhi after troopers die in crash

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troopers have allegedly vandalised two dozen shops and baton-charged locals at Dinajpur's Phulbarhi after two of their colleagues were killed in a road crash there.

Residents say three have been injured in BGB firing on Friday but police confirmed one casualty.

Angry locals blocked the Dinajpur-Phulbarhi road in the afternoon leading to severe gridlock.

BGB-29 Battalion's trooper Al Amin, 20, and Rubel Hossain, 21, were killed while getting back to their base with a seized motorcycle and several bottles of Phensidyl drug.

Tariqul Islam and Hasan Ali, shopkeepers at Bhimalpur near the battalion, claimed irate border guards showed up at the place in several vehicles and started charging batons indiscriminately.

They alleged the BGB men opened fire at the protesting locals injuring three men –Abul Hossain, Abiul Hossain and Mojidul Islam.

Abiul and Mojidul were taken to the Phulbarhi health complex while Abul is under treatment at Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital, they added.

However, the claims could not be independently verified.

Phulbarhi police OC Rejaul Islam told bdnews24.com that only one was hit by bullet and that they were trying to control the situation.

But the BGB has denied attacking the locals saying they only fired blank shots.

BGB's Dinajpur sector official Maj Rabiul Islam told bdnews24.com that locals had tried to snatch the phensedyl bottles seized earlier by BGB when attempts were going on to recover the two bodies.

A BGB trooper was injured when the locals started hurling brickbats facing resistance, he said.

Seven blank rounds were fired when they tried to snatch the trooper's firearm, Islam added.

The BGB official claimed locals tried to attack them fir a second time when they were taking the bodies to the hospital.

He said the Upazila executive officer, assistant superintendent of police and officials of local administration later went to the hospital and escorted the BGB personnel back to the camp.