‘Cattle smuggler’ shot dead by BGB in Sunamganj
A suspected cattle smuggler was shot dead by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Bongaon border area of Sunamganj Sadar upazila yesterday (Saturday) afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Kamal Miah (35) of Islampur Uttarpara village in Sadar upazila.
Lt Col Md Maksudul Alam, commanding officer of BGB Battalion-28 in Sunamganj, said, Kamal, a member of a cattle smuggling gang, was confronted by a BGB patrol team in Bongaon border area when he was bringing 25-30 cattle from India.
Following an altercation, Kamal and 30-35 other cattle smugglers swooped on BGB personnel with sharp weapons, the BGB official claimed.
In retaliation, the border guards fired two rounds of bullets and one of those hit Kamal in the back, the BGB official added.
"Kamal was shot in the back. We rushed him to Sunamganj District Sadar Hospital and they referred him to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. But he died on his way to Sylhet," his relative Rajib Ahmed told our Sylhet correspondent.
Kamal's relatives denied the allegation that he was a cattle smuggler, saying that Kamal was bringing back his own cow, which crossed the border.
"When Kamal was returning with his cow, he was detained and BGB claimed that the cow was being smuggled in from India and at one point, BGB opened fire on the crowd of villagers gathered there," Rajib said.
A BGB man -- Lance Nayek Thui Hola Mong Marma -- was injured in the attack and was admitted to Sunamganj District Sadar Hospital with severe wound in hand and head, said Lt Col Md Maksudul Alam.
"BGB opened fire to protect themselves when the cattle smugglers attacked them. Their attack left one BGB personnel injured. We are going to file a case in this regard," the BGB official said.
Contacted, Officer-in-Charge of Sunamganj Sadar Police Station Shahidur Rahman said Kamal's body will be handed over to his family after an autopsy at MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.
BGB filed a case with the police station in connection with the incident, the OC said, adding that no complaint was lodged from the deceased's family so far.
Comments