The Tripura Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) has started the procedure to hand over the bodies of two suspected Bangladeshi smugglers who were killed in firing near the Zero Point along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura’s Sepahijala district. Tension arose along the border after the two suspected smugglers were shot dead in Sepahijala district. The deceased individuals were identified as Nabir Hussain (40) and Md. Mursalin (22).
According to officials, BSF personnel spotted a group of Bangladeshi smugglers trying to smuggle fish fingerlings from India to Bangladesh. Despite warnings to stop, the smugglers continued their attempt and even started throwing stones and bricks at the troops. In self-defense, the personnel fired shots from their Pump Action Gun (PAG), injuring the two smugglers who later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
Post-mortem examinations were conducted, and the bodies were placed in the hospital mortuary before the process of handing them over to Bangladesh authorities began. Allegations have emerged about an organized smuggling network involved in trafficking fish fry along the border areas, reportedly led by a man named Suman from Miyapara in Sepahijala district. The region has been susceptible to various cross-border smuggling activities, including narcotics, clothes, fish fry, stolen motorcycles, and other goods.
Tripura, with a long border shared with Bangladesh, faces challenges of cross-border infiltration, smuggling, and other trans-border crimes. The BSF has heightened surveillance and control along the International Border, especially after unrest in Bangladesh in June-July 2024 and the change in government in August.
