BSF shooting victim’s body returned as BD seeks diplomatic resolution

Bangladesh has reiterated its commitment to resolving border killings through diplomacy after the body of a Bangladeshi national shot dead by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) was handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) along the Thakurgaon border on Sunday.

The latest incident has renewed concerns over the gap between India’s repeated commitments to prevent civilian deaths along the border and the continuing loss of Bangladeshi lives in border shootings.

The deceased, Asadul Haque, 38, son of Abdul Wazed of South Indrail village in Pirganj upazila, was shot by BSF personnel early on Saturday, after several Bangladeshi youths reportedly entered Indian territory near border pillar No. 333.

Asadul’s body was handed over to the BGB at around 10pm on Sunday, 13 September, following a flag meeting and legal formalities, according to Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Moin, commander of Dinajpur 42 BGB.

The incident took place near the Chanderhat border outpost, under the jurisdiction of India’s North Dinajpur district.

BSF personnel from the 63 Chakshibananda camp opened fire on the group, injuring Asadul and two others, Mostakim and Sri Uda. The injured were later taken to Kaliaganj State General Hospital, where Asadul died.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir told journalists on Sunday that Bangladesh would resolve border killings through diplomacy.

“We will try to resolve these issues through diplomacy,” he said. He added that Bangladesh would formally raise its concerns with India at every level, based on international law, border protocols and bilateral agreements between the two countries.

The latest shooting comes despite several agreements between Bangladesh and India to prevent border killings.

In February 2025, the BGB and BSF agreed to reduce incidents of shooting, killing, injuring and beating of unarmed civilians to zero.

The agreement, reached at a four-day director general-level conference in New Delhi, called for increased joint patrols in vulnerable areas, real-time information sharing and investigations into border deaths.

The BSF also reiterated its commitment to a non-lethal weapons policy, with the aim of preventing deaths while respecting human life and human rights.

That pledge followed an earlier agreement in March 2024, when the two border forces committed to preventing further killings through enhanced patrols, vigilance, public awareness and cooperation against cross-border crime.

The same year, Bangladesh said India had agreed to the use of non-lethal weapons to reduce border killings. Then foreign minister Hasan Mahmud said the practical challenge was implementing the agreement.

The commitments were renewed again in August 2025, when the BGB and BSF agreed to prevent a recurrence of border killings by adopting additional precautionary measures and intensifying night patrols in vulnerable areas.

The death of Asadul has raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of those commitments.

Bangladesh and India share a border of more than 4,000 kilometres, where illegal crossings, smuggling and other cross-border crimes remain security concerns.

Both countries have repeatedly stressed that such problems should be addressed through cooperation and the use of appropriate legal procedures.

The two other Bangladeshis injured in Saturday’s shooting, Mostakim and Sri Uda, remain in Indian custody.

They were charged under India’s Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A court in Raiganj ordered that they be held in judicial custody for 14 days.

The latest incident also highlights the need for the two border forces to ensure that the non-lethal weapons policy is applied in practice and that any use of force is investigated.

Previous agreements have called for investigations into border killings and stronger cooperation to prevent such incidents.

For Bangladesh, the immediate priority is the repatriation of the two surviving nationals and a diplomatic effort to ensure accountability for Asadul’s death.

The government’s stated approach is to resolve the matter through diplomacy, while the repeated zero-killing commitments provide a basis for pressing India to strengthen measures to protect civilians along the border.

The incident has therefore brought the longstanding border-killing issue back into focus, with the central question being whether repeated promises can finally translate into effective protection for people living along the Bangladesh-India frontier.

South Asia Director of Human Rights watch Meenakshi Ganguly once said, “It is true that a lot of illegal activities, including smuggling and trafficking, occur on the India-Bangladesh border, but smuggling is not a crime that warrants the death penalty.”

Talking to the New Nation, international expert and Former Professor of Dhaka University Imtiaz Ahmed said that the killings of innocent people along the border are unlawful.

“Usually the smugglers intrude India. If these people are unarmed, they can be arrested. Killing innocent people is unlawful. BSF has no jurisdiction to kill in this way,” he said.

Asked about the solution to end border killing, he cited the example of China and India’s border agreement in 1996, which includes that both sides shall not open fire within two kilometers from the line of actual control.