BSF personnel open fire only in self-defence: Nitin Agrawal

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Director General (DG) Nitin Agrawal on Saturday said the BSF soldiers open fire only in self-defence when they come under attack by smugglers.

Mentioning that smugglers often carry out attacks on BSF soldiers with sharp weapons, he said about 60 soldiers were injured by smugglers in the last one year.

“Generally, the smugglers attack the BSF men with machetes from very close range, which prompt the Indian force men to hit back with firearms,” he said while responding to a question at a joint press conference at the BGB headquarters in Dhaka following the conclusion of the DG-level five-day conference.

Nitin Agrawal said they often detain smugglers from Bangladesh and India and hand over the Bangladeshis to the BGB, adding that they also fire at Indian smugglers (in self-defence).

The BSF chief said they are trying their best to bring down the border killings to zero. “As to why, joint border patrolling and intelligence sharing are continuing.”

At the press conference, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) DG Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said the death of BGB member Mohammad Roisuddin by the BSF was not a targeted killing.

“It was not a targeted killing first of all. It happened amid darkness, fog and confusion,” he said.

Although the BSF chief was asked a question regarding the death of the BGB soldier, Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui explained the matter.

Nitin Agrawal, however, said he officially reported the matter to the BGB chief.

On 23 January, Sepoy Roisuddin was shot dead by the BSF personnel in the Benapole border area of Jashore.

The 54th DG-level BGB-BSF border conference started on 5 March in Dhaka and ended on 9 March.

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