A tragic cross-border shooting incident along the Thakurgaon frontier has claimed a second life, compounding grief and alarm within local communities. Following the initial death of 35-year-old Asadul Haq, a second injured Bangladeshi citizen, 38-year-old Mostakim, succumbed to his injuries while undergoing medical treatment at an Indian hospital.
The violent escalation occurred during the early hours of Saturday, approximately around 04:00 AM, near border pillar 333/MP within the Chanderhat border outpost (BOP) jurisdiction under Pirganj upazila’s Bairchuna union. The cross-border site falls opposite the Basudebpur border territory in West Bengal’s North Dinajpur district, an area patrolled by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) units attached to the 63 Chakshibananda and 121 battalions.
According to local accounts and preliminary briefings from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), a group of individuals attempted to cross the international frontier into Indian territory under the cover of darkness between Friday night and Saturday dawn. BSF personnel stationed at the perimeter opened fire upon detecting the unauthorized movement. The barrage of gunfire struck three Bangladeshi nationals: Asadul Haq, Mostakim, and another local man identified as 35-year-old Shri Uda Chandra.
Following the shooting, BSF members retrieved the wounded men and transported them across the border to the Kaliaganj State General Hospital in Raiganj, North Dinajpur district, for emergency medical intervention. Asadul Haq succumbed to his critical wounds on Saturday morning. Despite medical efforts, Mostakim passed away late Saturday night. The bodies of both deceased men remain preserved at the Indian hospital morgue pending formal repatriation procedures. Meanwhile, the third injured individual, Shri Uda Chandra, remains hospitalized under armed BSF custody.
The casualties have sparked intense scrutiny from regional law enforcement and border authorities. Officials from the 42nd BGB Battalion asserted that Asadul Haq was a listed contraband smuggler who faced multiple prior criminal cases filed against him at local police stations. Local representatives, including Bairchuna Union Parishad member Md Shahjahan Ali, confirmed that both deceased victims hailed from the local area, noting that community leaders are maintaining contact with the grieving families while keeping local administrative bodies informed.
Thakurgaon Additional Superintendent of Police Khodadat Hossain formally verified the casualties resulting from the border incident. Addressing the diplomatic and operational fallout, Dinajpur 42 BGB Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Moin Hasan stated that border authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting with utmost seriousness. The BGB has formally reached out to their BSF counterparts, demanding an immediate flag meeting at the battalion level to protest the use of lethal force and to expedite the repatriation of the deceased citizens’ remains.
