The body of a 14-year-old missing boy, identified as Md Shakil, was recovered from near the barbed-wire fence at the Zero Line of the India-Bangladesh border in Akhaura upazila of Brahmanbaria on Saturday night.
The deceased was the son of Malu Miah of Abdullahpur village. The body was spotted lying in the Lankamura area inside the Indian portion of the border near Abdullahpur. Family members rushed to the location upon learning of the discovery and identified the body as Shakil’s.
According to police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sources citing family members, Shakil was mentally ill and had been missing since Friday. His body was subsequently traced in the Lankamura border area on Saturday night.
Lieutenant Colonel Jabbar Ahmed, Commanding Officer of BGB 25 Battalion, said that because the body was inside Indian territory, it was taken to India for a post-mortem examination following discussions among the BGB, Border Security Force (BSF), and police forces of both nations. He added that the body would be handed over to the family once the post-mortem examination is completed.
However, authorities are yet to confirm how Shakil reached the border Zero Line or the exact cause of his death. Officials noted that the situation will become clear following the post-mortem report and relevant investigations.
News of Shakil’s death has cast a pall of gloom over Abdullahpur village and surrounding areas. The recovery of the body near the border Zero Line has also created a stir across the locality.
