Indian Border Security Force yesterday shot dead a Bangladeshi national inside their territory along the Dharmagar border in Thakurgaon's Ranisankail upazila. 

The dead, Jahangir Alam, 21, was son of Badsha Mia of Shahanabad village in the upazila.

Quoting locals, Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud, commanding officer of BGB-50 Battalion, said the members of BSF 171st Battalion in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur area opened fire on a group of cattle smugglers around 4:00am when they entered about 400 yards inside India through the border.

Jahangir died on the spot after being shot while the others managed to escape, said Tuhin, adding that the BSF men took the body immediately after the killing.

The BSF said that they had recovered the body of a Bangladeshi national from inside their territory, when contacted, the CO said.

“We have already contacted the BSF officials and strongly protested the killing of a civilian,” the BGB official said, adding that they had urged the BSF to return the body through a flag meeting.