The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Panchagarh

The Indian Border Security Force yesterday sought apologies for Sunday's killing of Bangladeshi civilians by an intruding BSF man at a frontier village in Tentulia upazila and assured legal actions against the runaway soldier.

BSF Kishanganj DIG Dr SK Mohanchandra, at a high-level flag meeting between BDR and BSF today, also assured of taking legal actions after proper investigation and stopping recurrence of such outrageous incident.The sector commander-level meeting was held near No-435 main pillar on Majhipara border in Tentulia upazila yesterday afternoon.

On the other hand, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) agreed to set free and return the detained BSF member who ran amok and gunned down the three people on Sunday night.

Sector-Commander Aftabul Islam led the Bangladesh side while DIG Dr SK Mohanchandra the Indian team at the flag meeting. BDR 25 Rifles Battalion Commander Major Sheikh Farid, Adjutant Captain Hasib and five BSF members also attended the talks.

After the meeting, both BDR and BSF teams visited the scene, saw the dead bodies and their haunted houses. They talked to the newsmen in a press briefing.

Replying to a query, the BFS DIG told the newsmen that the BDR headquarters would be informed later on about compensations for the families of the victims.

Commander Major Sheikh Farid, terming the meeting fruitful, said, "It' s a great achievement for us that BSF authority saw the spot of the gruesome killings inside Bangladesh and sought apologies in front of journalists and the public."

Later, police recovered the bodies and sent to morgue for autopsy.

A BSF man crossed Majhipara border into Bangladesh and opened fire indiscriminately, killing three people, including a baby boy, and injuring another at Moynakuri village at about 10:30pm on Sunday.

After the incident, villagers caught the BSF man, RP Singh, and handed him over to BDR after giving a good beating.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the killings. A Foreign Ministry spokesman, about the reported killing of several Bangladeshi nationals by BSF on Sunday, "strongly condemned" the incident and said that relevant authorities would carry out an inquiry.

"Such incidents militate against good neighbourly relations, and must not recur," he said.

Bangladesh Rifles issued a press release yesterday strongly denouncing Sunday night's killings.

UNB Panchagarh correspondent also said BDR troops have been put on 'red alert' along the border in Tentulia upazila following Sunday's killings by the Indian stray border guard.

Sources said the BDR beefed up vigilance on the frontier reinforcing its troops to patrol the area, gripped by tensions.