2 Bangladeshi citizens shot dead along border allegedly by Indian forces

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) – Two Bangladeshi citizens were shot dead Sunday allegedly by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in two separate incidents along the border, officials said.

The men were shot dead in the southwestern Satkhira and western Chuadanga border districts of Bangladesh when they were allegedly trying to cross the border illegally in order to smuggle goods and cattle, according to the officials.

The BSF, however, did not confirm or deny the firing when contacted following the incident.

The two South Asian countries share a 4,096-kilometer (2,545-mile) international border, the fifth-longest land border in the world.

In Satkhira, the victim was identified as 25-year-old Abu Hasan. He was shot along the Khaitola border of the district early Sunday morning.

Local media reports said Hasan was taken to Satkhira Sadar Hospital when locals found him unconscious. He died on the way to Khulna Medical College Hospital.

The other man was shot dead by Indian BSF along the western Chuadanga border around 5 a.m. local time. The BSF took away the body, according to reports.

Ain-o-Salish Kendra (ASK), a local non-government legal aid and human rights organization, said at least 8 Bangladeshis have been shot dead and seven others injured by the BSF in the last 8 months.

The BSF has repeatedly committed to not using lethal weapons along the border.

Odhikar, a local human rights organization in Bangladesh, claimed in its latest report that the Indian forces have killed over 1,200 Bangladeshis along the border over the last two decades.

Both countries in a joint statement earlier this month said that they “agreed to work towards bringing the number (border killing) down to zero.”

During Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in September, New Delhi promised to stop killings along the border.