A 64-year-old woman, who went to India from Bangladesh 30 years ago and acquired citizenship there, was shot dead allegedly by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in an area adjoining to Meherpur Sadar upazila in the early hours of Monday.
The deceased, Istafon Khatun, was the wife of Rahmot Ali of India’s Bihar and daughter of the late Komor Ali of Shalika village of Bangladesh’s Meherpur Sadar Upazila.
Hasem Ali, the elder brother of the victim, said that the members of the Natna BSF camp in India fired in the small hours of Monday when Istafon tried to enter Bangladesh by crossing the Barbed wire fence near Main Pillar No. 116 of Nabinagar Khalpara border.
“Istafon died on the spot and the body was taken to 84 BSF Battalion Natna Camp of Tehtra Police Station in Nadia District,” he added.
Hasem Ali said his sister Istafan had left the country 30 years ago and used to live with her husband in a city in Bihar. Her husband Rahmat Ali died a few days ago. Istafan Khatun was living alone after her husband’s death, he said.
“A few weeks ago, she visited us and returned to India. She decided to return to Bangladesh and stay with us as there was no one to look after her in Bihar. For the past three days, she had been staying at the border at Nabinagar of Tehatto thana in Nadia district for a chance to cross the fence. Her last conversation with us was over the phone on Sunday night, “said Hasem.
“She said she would cross the border whenever gets a chance and asked me to stay awake.”
In the middle of the night, he got the news that she was shot dead by members of the Natna BSF camp while crossing the border to enter Bangladesh.
Biplab Hossain, son of the deceased's brother, said that they contacted the Buripota BGB camp to get the body back.
However, the BGB did not give any assurance of getting the body because the incident occurred inside India.
Manmohan, commander of Buripota BGB camp, said BSF did not tell us anything about this as the incident took place inside India.
“The victim was born in Bangladesh, her brother and other family members live in the bordering village of Shalika. It is believed that this incident happened while she tried to enter Bangladesh illegally,” said the commander.
