Dhaka: A 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl was killed by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) as she and her family attempted to cross into India near the Kulaura border in Moulvibazar district.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident occurred when BSF personnel opened indiscriminate fire at the Lalarchak border area of Sharifpur Union on the Bangladesh side, resulting in the death of the eighth grader, Swarna Das. The shooting also left a couple accompanying the family injured.
Swarna Das was traveling with her mother, Sanjita Rani Das, and a couple from Chittagong, aiming to visit her brother, Parendra Das, who lives in Tripura, India. As they neared the barbed-wire fence that marks the border, BSF troops reportedly fired without warning. Following the incident, the BSF is said to have taken possession of Swarna Das’s body.
The survivors took refuge in the nearby Lalarchak village. The injured couple was later transported to a hospital in Sylhet for medical treatment.
Nayek Obaid, a patrol commander with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) 46 Battalion in Lalarchak, confirmed the attempted border crossing and the subsequent shooting by the BSF. Despite confirmation of the incident, Indian authorities have yet to return the body of Swarna Das to her family.