Visiting BSF chief remains tight-lipped on BGB personnel Rais Uddin's killing at Benapole border

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Director General (DG) Nitin Agrawal, on the last day of his official visit, declined to offer details when asked about the recent killing of BGB personnel Rais Uddin on the border. 

"How he ended up dead, I wouldn't explain that. It has already been reported," he said in response to a question asked by a Bangladeshi journalist during a press briefing today (9 March).

DG Nitin Agrawal added, "You see, border killings do take place on which both Bangladeshi and Indian citizens get killed sometimes despite our efforts not to do so."

"On the Bangladesh border, we have changed our weapon policy and put non-lethal weapons in dues instead of the usual lethal weapons on infantry. This is purely with the intention of minimizing any deaths which may occur due to an attack on BSF personnel," he said. 

He further said organized crime groups are actively operating along the border, showing no hesitation in targeting both BSF and BGB personnel who obstruct their smuggling and transnational criminal activities. These criminals have attacked personnel from both sides, leading to instances where BSF personnel have had to engage in self-defense. 

He also added that around 60 BSF personnel have sustained serious injuries from attacks by border criminals using local weapons and in response BSF personnel have fired at both Bangladeshi and Indian criminals, resulting in casualties.

Nitin Agrawal also avoided responding to queries about joint investigations after every border killing and why BSF men do not use body-worn cameras for transparency and evidence.

The press meet was organised on the last day of the five-day director general (DG)-level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF), which kicked off in Dhaka on 5 March.

Addressing the issue, BGB Director General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui told journalists that this was not a targeted killing.

"The incident occurred in darkness as a result of confusion on both sides," he said, noting that both parties have agreed on a collective effort to prevent any loss of life among uniformed personnel, be it BSF or BGB, as well as among civilian Bangladeshis or Indian nationals. 

"Efforts must be made from both sides to prioritise peace and avoid fatalities," he added.

Both border force chiefs talked to the media after signing a joint record of discussions in the 54th director general level border conference between the border guard of Bangladesh and the Border Security Force (BSF) at BGB headquarters.

In the conference, they discussed security-related issues like border killing, drugs, arms, ammunition, women and children trafficking, illegal trespassing and many other border-related issues. 

Earlier, a member of Border Guard Bangladesh named Mohammad Rais Uddin, succumbed to injuries sustained from being shot by India's Border Security Force along the Dhanyokhola-Jelepara border in Jashore's Benapole upazila. 

He was 35-year-old and from Chapainawabganj, posted at the BGB-49 Battalion in Jashore.