During a smuggling bid, two youths sustained injuries in BSF firing along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura on Wednesday. Both of them sustained injuries in their legs.
This is the second such incident in the area during the last two months.
A group of youths were trying to smuggle drug-items to the other side of India-Bangladesh border at Rahimpur under Boxanagar in Sepahijala district on Wednesday early morning.
According to locals, the incident took place after a group of smugglers on Wednesday morning reached the Gate No. 168 of Rahimpur border to smuggle drug items to other part. As the youths threw the sacks containing ‘contraband items’ to the Bangladesh side over the barbed wire fencing, the sacks got stuck up in the fencing. Some of the youths from the Indian side raced towards the border fencing to pull down the sacks.
Meantime, a BSF jawan noticed this and confronted the youths. A scuffle broke out between the BSF jawan and the youths. The situation soon spun out of the hand and the BSF had to fire rubber bullets to thwart the smuggling bid and save his own life.
In the firing, two youths – 20 years old Suhag Mia and a 15 years old Iqbal Hussain – were also injured. Bullet hit Suhag and Iqbal on their legs. The wounded youths were taken to local Primary Health Centre and attending doctors referred them to the GB Hospital. Both are undergoing treatment at GB Hospital.
The Rahimpur area has become a den of smuggling activities. Recently, smugglers snatched away rifle from a BSF jawan which was later recovered after a hectic search.
Around two months ago, one Saiphul Islam sustained bullet injuries after BSF jawans opened fire when Saiphul was attempting to smuggle goods to Bangladesh through the same gate of Rahimpur.
The second firing in two months sparked tension in the area and local people demanded stern action against the kingpins of smuggling rackets in the area.
