The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the body of Swarna Das, a 13-year-old Bangladeshi girl, who was shot and killed in BSF firing, to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Tuesday night, 45 hours after the incident occurred.
Kulaura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Binoy Bhusan Roy confirmed the handover, saying that the body was subsequently returned to the girl’s family after completing the necessary legal procedures.
Lt Col Mizanur Rahman Shikdar, sector commandant of the BGB in Sreemangal, detailed the incident, revealing that the teenager was fatally shot by BSF personnel as she and others attempted to cross into India near the Lalarchak border area of Sharifpur union in Kulaura upazila on Sunday night.
A flag meeting was convened between the BGB and BSF to address the situation, Shikdar added.
The victim, identified as 13-year-old Swarna Das, was the daughter of Porendra Das, a resident of Kalnigar village in Paschim Juri union under Juri upazila.
According to Porendra Das, Swarna and her mother had attempted to cross into India illegally to visit his eldest son, who lives in Tripura. They were aided by two local brokers. Around 9 pm on Sunday, as they reached the fence on the Indian side, BSF personnel opened fire, killing Swarna instantly. Swarna’s mother narrowly escaped the gunfire.
The tragic incident has sparked outrage and raised serious concerns about the use of lethal force in border areas.
BDST: 1501 HRS, SEPT 04, 2024
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