Villagers demand fair probe, withdrawal of 'false' case

A human chain was formed in front of Dinajpur Press Club on Sunday demanding a fair probe into the firing incident of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Bahrampur village in Thakurgaon's Haripur upazila.

Three people were killed and at least 16 others suffered bullet wounds as members of a BGB patrol team opened fire following a scuffle with locals at the village on February 12.

Students of different institutions in the district organised the programme under the banner of Haripur upazila Diploma Engineering Students' Forum.

The speakers at the programme said BGB members killed the three villagers just like birds on the day and now BGB filed a case against the villagers.

They termed the case as false.

The BGB members illogically picked up cows from Bahrampur village, which is around 10km from border, and the paramilitary force cannot do that without the presence of police, the speakers opined.

BGB could have easily averted the incident, they said.

They also demanded capital punishment of the BGB personnel who were involved in the firing and urged the government authorities to withdraw the case filed against the innocent villagers.

BGB men filed the case to harass the villagers, said the speakers.

They also sought intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this regard.

Shahidul Islam Sohag, convener of Haripur Diploma Engineering Students' Forum, and its Joint Convener Md Kamal Hossain, among others, spoke.