BSF jawan killed in rare firing by B’desh trooper

Kolkata/New Delhi, Oct 17

A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was killed and another injured on Thursday after a Bangladeshi border guard fired from his AK-47 rifle during a ‘flag meeting’ along the international border of the two countries in West Bengal, officials said.

The “apparent high-handedness” of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops has led to tension between the two sides with BSF chief VK Johri calling up his counterpart Major General Shafeenul Islam over hotline. The BGB Director General has assured a thorough probe into the incident, they said.

The relations between the two forces that guard the 4,096-km long international border have been very cordial and no bullet has been fired between them for decades. Efforts are being made to ensure the situation does not deteriorate, sources said.

The incident has rung an alarm in the top security establishment in New Delhi with the Home Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs being briefed by the BSF.

Officials said the incident took place under Kakmarichar border post of the BSF in Murshidabad district around 9 am when a force party approached BGB personnel, standing at a “char” or a riverine in the middle of the Padma river to resolve an issue linked to Indian fishermen.

BGB jawan Sayed fired from his AK-47 rifle and shot BSF Head Constable Vijay Bhan Singh on his head while constable Rajvir Yadav sustained bullet injury on his hand. The BSF jawan died on the boat itself and injured constable Yadav deftly saved the boat from drowning and managed to bring it to the Indian side. The fisherman is stated to be in the custody of the BGB till now. — PTI