A second Bangladeshi national has died in hospital following a shooting by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the Thakurgaon border. Thirty-eight-year-old Mostakim succumbed to his injuries late Saturday evening, hours after another victim, Asadul Haq, 35, died on Saturday morning. A third Bangladeshi national, Sri Uda Chandra, 35, sustained gunshot wounds during the same incident and remains in BSF custody.
The shootings occurred around 4:00 am on Saturday, 12 September, near border pillar 333/MP in the Chanderhat BOP area of Bairchuna Union, Pirganj Upazila. The locus of the incident lies adjacent to the Kaliaganj Basudebpur border sector in the Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, India.
The deceased Asadul Haq was the son of Wajed Ali, residing in Dakshin Indrail village within Pirganj Upazila. Mostakim was the son of Ahed Ali from neighbouring Uttar Indrail village. The wounded detainee, Sri Uda Chandra, son of Monsha Chandra Roy, also hails from the same locality.
According to local sources and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials, the sector opposite the Bairchuna border is guarded by personnel from the BSF’s 63 Choksibananda and 121 Basudebpur battalion camps. A group of Bangladeshi nationals allegedly attempted to cross into Indian territory during the late hours of Friday and early morning of Saturday, prompting BSF troops to open fire.
Hit by live rounds, Asadul, Mostakim, and Uda Chandra collapsed near the border line. BSF personnel subsequently retrieved the three injured men and transferred them to Kaliaganj State General Hospital in Raiganj, located within the Uttar Dinajpur district.
Medical staff pronounced Asadul dead shortly after admission on Saturday morning. Mostakim fought for his life throughout the day before succumbing to his injuries later that night. Both bodies are currently held at the hospital mortuary in India awaiting repatriation. Meanwhile, Uda Chandra is receiving medical treatment under BSF custody.
Official statements from the Dinajpur 42 BGB Battalion indicate that Asadul Haq was a known smuggler with several criminal cases pending against him at local police stations.
Confirming the local identity of the victims, Md Shahajahan Ali, a member of the Bairchuna Union Parishad, stated that community leaders are providing support to the bereaved families while maintaining coordination with local administrative and border officials. Thakurgaon Additional Superintendent of Police Khodadath Hossain also verified the casualties along the frontier.
Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Moin Hasan, Commanding Officer of the Dinajpur 42 BGB Battalion, emphasised that the border guard authority is treating the fatal shootings with utmost gravity. BGB has formally lodged a protest with its Indian counterpart, requesting an urgent battalion-level flag meeting to demand a full investigation into the incident and expedite the swift repatriation of both deceased citizens.
