A cattle trader was killed while another injured when members of the Indian Border Security Force fired rubber bullets and hurled hand bombs at them yesterday near Porsha border in Naogaon.
The deceased was Zahurul Islam, 32, and the injured is Bokul Hossain, 30, from Nimtola village in the upazila.
Lt Col Rafiqul Hasan, captain of 14 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion deployed in Naogaon, told the Dhaka Tribune that the traders were coming back to Bangladesh with a herd of cattle from India when they were attacked.
A patrolling team of 31 Pannapur BSF Battalion chased after them, and later fired rubber bullets and hurled the bombs at them near Pillar 232 on the border around 3:30am.
Zahurul and Bokul were injured in the sudden attack and brought back to Bangladesh by the other traders. Zahurul died on his way to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital around 7am.
His companions said there were several bruises all over his body as well as splinter injuries. Police later recovered his body and brought it to Porsha police station.
Bokul was treated at a local clinic for minor injuries before he was released.
The BGB has officially protested the attack and sent a letter to the BSF in this regard, Lt Col Rafiqul said.
The BSF was recently ordered by Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh to crack down on cattle traders. He asked the BSF personnel to intensify their vigil along the Bangladesh-India border so that cattle smuggling from India to Bangladesh stops completely, the Times of India reported in April.
The Indian government, currently led by right-wing Bharatiya Janatra Party, has been working to effectively ban cow slaughter in the country since it was formed following the national elections last year.
Beef consumption, sale and export was completely banned in the country's Maharashtra state in March, and advocacy has been taking place in other states to follow Maharashtra's lead.
