Deaths of two Bangladeshis in BSF firing due to 'illegal border crossings': FM Mahmud

Mahmud says that the BSF has increased its use of 'non-lethal weapons', preventing the death toll from being much higher

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud has said that the recent shooting deaths of two Bangladeshis at the border were due to the fact that they had illegally crossed into Indian territory.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has officially protested these incidents with India's Border Security Force (BSF), he said on Thursday.

Mahmud noted that the BSF has increased its use of 'non-lethal weapons', which has prevented the death toll from being significantly higher.

During the media briefing, the minister was asked about the deaths of two Bangladeshis in Lalmonirhat on Monday and the BSF's firing along the Naogaon border a day later.

He explained that the first incident occurred in Lalmonirhat on the night of Mar 25, when Bangladeshis were crossing the barbed wire fence.

The BSF claimed that the individuals surrounded them when they tried to intervene, prompting the security personnel to open fire.

Two men were injured in the incident. One of them managed to return to Bangladesh, while the other was hospitalised in India and later succumbed to his injuries.

Another incident was reported on the morning of Mar 26 at the Naogaon border. It, too, was attributed to illegal border crossing. In response, the BGB lodged a protest, and a border meeting was convened, said Mahmud.

The minister emphasised ongoing discussions with India on the use of 'non-lethal weapons', noting that their increased use has led to more injuries from rubber bullets rather than fatalities.

But the government is aiming to put an end to such incidents at the border, according to Mahmud.