Bangladeshi Man Killed in BSF Firing Along Maheshpur Border
A Bangladeshi national was reportedly shot dead by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) early Sunday (27 April) along the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah.
The incident took place in Madhupur, under the Bagda Police Station of North 24 Parganas district, India.
The deceased, identified as Obaidul Islam (36), was the son of Hanif Ali from Gopalpur village in Jadabpur Union of Maheshpur upazila.
According to locals, Obaidul, along with 7–8 others, had crossed into Indian territory on Saturday night. Members of the Madhupur BSF camp reportedly surrounded them. While most managed to escape, Obaidul was captured.
Local village police officer Omar Ali said he visited Obaidul’s house after receiving news of the incident, where he found the family in mourning. Residents reported hearing gunshots from across the border around 1 AM, leading to the assumption that Obaidul had been shot dead.
Jadabpur Union Member Babul Hossain confirmed hearing about gunfire across the border and added that Obaidul has been missing since the incident. Locals believe the body found on the Indian side could be his.
Meanwhile, Hafizul Islam, commander of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) post in Jadabpur, said they were investigating after receiving information from locals, though no official complaint had been lodged by the victim’s family.
Lt. Col. Rafiqul Alam, commanding officer of BGB Battalion-58 in Maheshpur, told the media that Indian BSF officials had informed them about a body found inside Indian territory. However, they could not immediately confirm whether it was a Bangladeshi or Indian citizen. The body was taken away by Bagda police for further investigation.
This incident follows another unresolved case. On 8 April, Wasim, a young man from Baghdanga village in Maheshpur, was reportedly killed by BSF personnel along the Polianpur border. Despite the family’s appeals, his body has not yet been returned after 19 days, reportedly due to visa and legal complications.
Wasim’s brother, Mehedi Hasan, stated that Wasim and several others crossed into India earlier this month. While others managed to flee after being chased by BSF troops, Wasim was captured. Allegedly, he was tortured and then his body was dumped in the Ichamati River.
Although BGB has requested the return of the body, Indian authorities have asked for proper documentation to release it. However, Wasim’s family claims they are unable to travel to India for body identification due to financial and legal constraints.