Indian Border Security Force yesterday handed over the bodies of three Bangladeshi nationals who were killed by a mob in Khowai city in the Indian state of Tripura on Sunday.
Direndra Bayetri, second-in-command of BSF Tripura camp, handed over the bodies to Border Guard Bangladesh 14 Battalion Commander Lt Col Saif Uddin Kawser and Balla border camp Subedar Nayek Osman Gani near the Chunarughat border.
Later, the family members of the deceased took the bodies from Chunarughat police station Officer-in-Charge Amullya Kumar Chowdhury. Local UP Chairman Tajul Islam was present at the time, reports our Habiganj correspondent.
On Sunday, five Bangladeshi nationals were caught by locals in Khowai – some six kilometres inside Tripura border – when they had gone there to lift cattle, said Lt Col Kawser.
Three of the suspected cattle traders were killed by a mob, while two managed to escape with injuries.
The victims are Siddiq Ali, 60, of Hapter Haor under Gazipur union of Chunarughat, Anwar Mia, 30, of Manikbhandar village, and Shundor Ali, 40, of Osmanpur village under the same upazila.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has condemned the deaths of the three Bangladeshi nationals at the hands of Indian civilians and expressed its deep concern over the matter.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially lodged a strong protest with the Indian side against the atrocious killing of three Bangladeshi nationals by Indian civilians yesterday [April 6, 2014] in the state of Tripura, India,” said a press release of the foreign ministry.
The Indian authorities have also been requested to conduct an inquiry into the incident and take appropriate action at the earliest against those responsible.
It is learnt from the Indian side that some Indian nationals have already been arrested in Tripura by the local authorities in this connection.
The matter is being followed up with the Indian authorities both from Dhaka and New Delhi.
India’s Border Security Force has regretted the incident and said they would take legal action against those responsible.