A Bangladeshi man has been shot dead by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel near the Indian border in Mymensingh, sparking protests and allegations of misconduct against the force.
The BGB says its personnel fired in self-defence after being attacked by cattle smugglers. But two of its officers have described the fatal shot as an accidental discharge, while the victim’s family alleges he was deliberately shot and denied medical treatment for hours.
The incident occurred early on Monday in Jhaljhalia village of Haluaghat upazila.
The victim, Roman Mia, 45, was a cloth trader and leaseholder of Baghaitala market. He lived in nearby Betkuri village.
His death prompted relatives and local residents to block a road, demanding an investigation and justice.
The BGB alleges Roman was involved in cattle smuggling. His family disputes the force’s account of the shooting and alleges that BGB personnel regularly received payments to allow cattle to be brought across the border from India.
The BGB denies the allegation.
Haluaghat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jalal Uddin confirmed the death but said the circumstances remained unclear.
“A person has died in BGB firing. However, exactly what happened and how it happened can only be determined through an investigation,” he said.
BGB personnel were also accused of initially preventing journalists from entering the hospital and obstructing relatives and residents from seeing Roman’s body.
Witness accounts described personnel raising their weapons in an attempt to disperse protesters before leaving the hospital amid mounting resistance.
Police later arrived and brought the situation under control.
Conflicting accounts of shooting
In an official statement, the BGB’s Mymensingh 39 Battalion said its personnel seized several cattle at around 5:45am in Jhaljhalia, about one kilometre inside Bangladesh from the border’s zero line near Telikhali Border Outpost.
It said an organised group of smugglers attacked the patrol as it returned with the seized animals.
According to the statement, personnel initially issued verbal warnings before firing warning shots into the air.
“As the attack continued, shots were fired in self-defence, injuring a smuggler. He was subsequently taken to Haluaghat Upazila Health Complex, where the duty doctor declared him dead,” the statement said.
But Subedar Md Abdul Kadir, company commander of the Karaitali Border Outpost, gave a different account.
He told TIMES that a joint patrol from the Telikhali and Karaitali outposts challenged people transporting Indian cattle, prompting an attack in which BGB personnel were injured.
“Naik Rafiq initially fired a blank warning shot from his loaded gun. Later, when ‘smuggler’ Roman struck BGB member Rafiq’s hand, the gun discharged unintentionally, hitting Roman,” he said.
The battalion’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Md Nurul Azim Bayezid, also described the shooting as accidental.
He said smugglers armed with locally made weapons attacked BGB personnel some 200 to 300 yards inside the border after four cattle had been seized.
According to his account, one of the attackers grabbed from behind the BGB member who had fired a warning shot. A round then discharged from the rifle, striking Roman, who was standing in front of him.
The officers’ accounts differ from the official statement, which describes the fatal shooting as an act of self-defence.
Family alleges deliberate shooting
Roman’s younger brother, Abu Raihan, rejected the BGB’s version, alleging that his brother was deliberately shot following an argument.
He said Roman had travelled to Jhaljhalia after hearing about a confrontation over seized cattle.
An argument over documents relating to the lease of Baghaitala market then led to the shooting, he claimed.
Raihan alleged that Roman was shot at around 5am and kept at the scene for nearly three hours without receiving medical treatment.
He also accused BGB personnel of torturing Roman after taking him to Telikhali camp.
According to Raihan, when he pleaded for his brother to receive treatment, a BGB member identified as Rafiq pointed a gun at his chest and threatened to shoot him.
Raihan further alleged that his family had an arrangement with BGB personnel involving weekly payments to bring cattle from India.
He claimed Roman was shot because the agreed payment could not be made that week.
Local Union Parishad member Abdul Jabbar made similar allegations, claiming that cattle traders had agreed to pay BGB personnel Tk3 lakh each week.
“There was an agreement with the BGB to pay Tk3 lakh a week for cattle smuggling. The cattle were seized because that money had not been paid,” he told TIMES.
Jabbar said Roman had asked the personnel to release the cattle, assuring them that the payment would be made.
“Shooting him dead in this manner, nearly three kilometres inside the border, following an argument over the matter is completely unacceptable. We demand a proper investigation and justice for this killing,” he said.
The allegations of payments, deliberate shooting and delayed treatment have not been independently established.
Asked about the alleged financial arrangement with cattle smugglers, BGB commanding officer Bayezid questioned the claims.
“Anyone can make an allegation. But is it true?” he told TIMES.
He said the incident was being investigated transparently.
