India rejects Dhaka protest, says slain Bangladeshis were cattle smugglers

India on Friday dismissed Bangladesh’s protest over the killing of three of its nationals in Tripura earlier this week, saying those killed were cattle smugglers who had illegally crossed the border and attacked local villagers.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the incident occurred on October 15 at Bidyabil village, about 3 km inside Indian territory.

According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, a group of three Bangladeshi nationals entered India to steal cattle and assaulted local residents with iron knives, killing one villager before being overpowered by others.

“Authorities rushed to the spot, where two smugglers were found dead; a third succumbed to his injuries in hospital the following day. The mortal remains of all three have been handed over to Bangladesh. The police have also registered a case,” Jaiswal said.

He added that the incident highlighted the need for Bangladesh to uphold the sanctity of the international boundary and support fencing efforts “to prevent cross-border crimes and smuggling”.

Earlier in the day, the Government of Bangladesh condemned what it described as the “brutal beating and killing” of three of its citizens by a mob in Tripura, calling it a “grave violation of human rights and the rule of law”.

Dhaka urged New Delhi to conduct an “immediate, impartial and transparent investigation” and ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.

The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said it expected India to take “sincere efforts to stop recurrence of such inhumane acts”, and stressed that all individuals, irrespective of nationality, were entitled to the full protection of their human rights.