The Bangladeshi government on Friday condemned the lynching of three of the country’s citizens in India’s Tripura, describing it as a “heinous act” and a “grave violation of human rights and the rule of law”.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs claimed that the three Bangladeshi men were smugglers who attacked and killed one villager in Tripura’s Bidyabil.
In a statement, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern about the lynching that took place on Wednesday, when three men from Habiganj – Pandit Mia, Sajal Mia and Juel Mia – were allegedly hacked and beaten to death near the border in Tripura’s Khowai district by Indian residents.
The three men had reportedly crossed into Indian territory from the Sreemangal border area two to three days before the assault, reported Dhaka Tribune.
Indian residents suspected that they were cattle thieves and confronted them near Bidyabil village in Khowai district, leading to a clash, The Indian Express quoted the police as saying.
The police said the bodies were sent for postmortem, while an investigation has been launched.
The bodies were handed over to Bangladeshi authorities on Thursday evening, in the presence of officials from Border Guard Bangladesh and India’s Border Security Force, Dhaka Tribune reported.
Dhaka on Friday urged New Delhi to conduct an “immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident and take sincere efforts to stop the recurrence of such inhumane acts”. “The perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice,” it added.
It added that all persons are entitled to the “full protection of their human rights, regardless of which side of the border they may inadvertently find themselves in”.
New Delhi stated on Friday that the “three miscreants from Bangladesh crossed the international border and attempted to steal cattle from Bidyabil village”.
“They attacked and injured local villagers with iron dahs and knives, and killed one villager, even as other villagers arrived and resisted the attackers,” claimed the ministry.
It added that the authorities had found two of the men dead at the spot, while the third person succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Thursday.
“This incident underscores the need for Bangladesh to undertake necessary measures to uphold the sanctity of the international boundary and support the construction of fencing where needed to prevent cross-border crimes and smuggling,” stated the ministry.
Just 0.2% of readers pay for news. The others don’t care if it dies. You can help make a difference. Support independent journalism – join Scroll now.
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!