Dhaka condemns killing 3 Bangladeshis in Tripura

Diplomatic Correspondent :

The Interim Government has strongly condemned the brutal beating and killing of three Bangladeshi citizens by a mob in the Indian state of Tripura on 15 October.

In an official statement issued on Friday, Dhaka termed the incident “heinous, unacceptable and a grave violation of human rights.”

According to the statement of the Foreign Ministry, the three victims were reportedly attacked by a group of locals near the India-Bangladesh border.

Details of the incident have not yet been officially confirmed by Indian authorities, but media reports suggest the victims were accused of illegal border crossing.

The Interim Government rejected any justification for mob violence and demanded accountability.

“The Government of Bangladesh calls upon the Government of India to conduct an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident and take sincere efforts to stop recurrence of such inhumane acts.

The perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice,” the statement said.

Dhaka also emphasized that the protection of human rights is a universal responsibility that must be upheld irrespective of nationality or circumstance.

“All individuals, irrespective of their nationality, are entitled to the full protection of their human rights, regardless of which side of the border they may inadvertently find themselves in,” the government asserted.

Dhaka has urged New Delhi to ensure the safety of all foreign nationals within Indian territory, especially along border regions where similar incidents have occurred in the past.

Violence along the India-Bangladesh border has long been a sensitive issue between the two South Asian neighbours.

Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have repeatedly documented cases of extrajudicial killings, mob lynching, and torture near the border, often involving cattle-trade accusations or illegal crossings.

Tripura, which shares an 856-kilometre border with Bangladesh, has seen multiple incidents of cross-border tensions.

Both governments have pledged cooperation through border security dialogues, but recurring violence continues to strain public sentiment.

In recent years, Bangladesh has consistently raised concern over killings of its citizens by either Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel or mobs near the frontier.

Despite several joint commitments to bring border deaths to zero, rights groups say progress has been slow.

Meanwhile, over the killing of Bangladeshi nationals in Tripura, Ministry of External Affairs on Friday underscores the need for Bangladesh to take necessary measures to uphold the sanctity of the international border and to support fencing construction where required to curb cross-border crimes and smuggling.

“We have noted that an incident in Tripura leading to the death of three Bangladesh smugglers took place on October 15, 3 kilometers inside Indian territory,” official spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media.

He said that a group of three ‘miscreants’ from Bangladesh crossed the international border and attempted to steal cattle from Bidyabil village in Indian territory.

“They attacked and injured local villagers with iron dahs and knives, and killed one villager, even as other villagers arrived and resisted the attackers,” he pointed out.

He further said that the authorities rushed to the spot, where two smugglers were found dead; a third succumbed to his injuries in hospital the following day.

The mortal remains of all three have been handed over to the Bangladesh side, said the spokesperson adding that Police have also registered a case in this regard.

A visit to several city markets on Friday – including Jurain, Jatrabari, Hatirpool, Shantinagar, Rampura, and Malibagh – revealed the situation.

Vendors said vegetable prices are expected to fall further in the next 15-20 days as early winter vegetables are starting to arrive in the market. Once supply increases – especially of items like beans and cauliflower – prices are likely to drop further.

Market observation showed that prices of potatoes and papayas have fallen significantly. A van in front of Rampura market was selling 6 kilograms of potatoes for Tk 100. Inside the market, potatoes were selling at Tk 20-25 per kg. Papaya prices were also between Tk 20 and Tk 30 per kg.

The price of pointed gourd (potol) remains unchanged at Tk 70-80 per kg. Eggplant prices have decreased slightly, now selling for Tk 80-100 per kg compared to Tk 120-160 last week. Radish, cucumber, taro stems, and several other vegetables are selling for Tk 50-60 per kg.

Prices of green chilies have also dropped – currently Tk 120-140 per kg, down from Tk 160 last week.

Early winter vegetables like beans still remain out of reach for many consumers, selling for Tk 200-260 per kg. Okra, ridge gourd, snake gourd, and teasel gourd are priced at Tk 60-80 per kg, while newly arrived yardlong beans are selling for Tk 100 per kg.

Vegetable vendor Arif Hossain said, “Prices of vegetables haven’t gone up this week; rather, they’ve fallen by Tk 10-20 per kg. Unless something unexpected happens, prices won’t rise again. They’ll likely drop gradually as more winter vegetables arrive.”

Consumers’ main concern this week was edible oil. Although mill owners announced price hikes, they couldn’t implement them due to the Ministry of Commerce’s intervention. Refiners had proposed increasing soybean oil prices by Tk 6 per litre and palm oil by Tk 13 per litre.

A visit to several Dhaka markets on Thursday showed that two-litre bottles of soybean oil were selling for Tk 375-378 – the same as before. Five-litre bottles were priced at Tk 920-922.

Loose soybean oil also remained unchanged, selling for Tk 185-190 per litre, while loose palm oil was priced at Tk 170 per litre.

Khairul Islam, a grocery trader at Segunbagicha market, said, “We heard that edible oil prices would go up, and even dealer representatives informed us about it. But prices haven’t risen yet. Consumer rights officials visited this morning to check prices and supply conditions.”

Besides edible oil, prices of sugar, lentils, ginger, and garlic have also remained stable, though lentil prices have increased slightly over the past two weeks. Sugar is selling for Tk 105-110 per kg. Small-grain lentils are priced at Tk 150-160, medium-grain at Tk 130-145, and large-grain lentils at Tk 115-125 per kg. Onion prices remain steady at Tk 70-80 per kg.

Farm eggs are currently selling for Tk 140-150 per dozen. Two weeks ago, prices were around Tk 140, though in larger markets, eggs can still be found at previous rates.

Among poultry, Sonali chickens are selling for Tk 290-310 per kg – down from over Tk 320 last week. Broiler chickens are priced at Tk 170-180 per kg.