Body of slain Bangladeshi man in Assam unrepatriated due to coronavirus fears
BSF brought the body to the Sutarkandi border on Thursday, but could not produce a coronavirus test report as requested by the BGB
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has refused to accept the body of a deceased Bangladeshi in Assam as the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) did not provide a coronavirus test report for the victim.
The deceased Ranajit Rokmon, 35, was a resident of Tantipara in Juri upazila under Moulvibazar district.
According to police and BGB sources, on June 1, locals in the Putnichhara tea-garden area under the Patharkandi police station beat up some people suspected of being cattle thieves.
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Ranjit died on the spot, while three more were injured and admitted to the hospital. Among the injured people, one was Bangladeshi and the other two were Indian citizens.
That night, BSF sent a letter to the BGB's Lathitila camp, but confusion arose as the name and address provided for the Bangladeshi nationals was wrong.BGB later investigated and confirmed the identities of the two and made arrangements to repatriate Ranjit's body.
The BSF then brought the body to the Sutarkandi border in Sylhet on Thursday, but could not produce all the documents requested by the BGB.
Lieutenant Colonel Gazi Shahidullah, commander of the 52nd Battalion of BGB posted in Beanibazar, told The Business Standard, "We asked BSF for three official reports, including a coronavirus test report. Assam is in a vulnerable condition due to the outbreak, and Ranjit came in contact with many people during the beating.
"That is why we asked for a coronavirus test," he said adding BGB would accept the body after getting the report.
The BSF later went back without handing the body over.
