A tense situation gripped the bordering areas of Patgram in Lalmonirhat district after a Bangladeshi youth was injured in firing by India’s Border Security Force along the border on Monday morning.

The injured, Mizanur Rahman, 28, of Rahmatpur Gatiyarvita area in Patgram upazila, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Rangpur city.

Following the incident, local residents gathered near the border in protest and detained an Indian national along with two cows.

Locals said that Mizanur had gone to the border area at about 10:30am to collect grass and entered about 10 yards inside Indian territory when BSF members opened fire on him.

He sustained a bullet injury to his shoulder, according to locals and Border Guard Bangladesh officials.

Despite the injury, Mizanur managed to return to Bangladesh territory, after which locals rescued him and took him to a hospital in Rangpur.

As news of the incident spread, villagers gathered near the spot and began protesting against the BSF firing.

Patgram police station officer-in-charge Nazmul Haque said that BSF members opened fire on a farmer when he went near the border to collect grass for his cattle.

‘Local people detained an Indian national along with two cows following the firing on the Bangladeshi national,’ the OC said.

Locals and police officials said that the Indian national was later handed over to BGB members.

BGB officials said that tension was prevailing in the bordering areas following the incident. They said that agitated villagers, some carrying sticks, were staying near the border, while the BGB and local administration were trying to calm the situation.

BGB Rangpur sector commander Colonel SM Shafikur Rahman said he had spoken with the BSF’s Jalpaiguri sector commander and arranged a commanding officer-level flag meeting between the two forces in the evening.

‘The BSF told us that the victim had entered Indian territory and taken photos of a BSF outpost using his mobile phone. We told them that it is unacceptable to open fire on an unarmed civilian,’ he said.

He said the BGB had asked the BSF to take action against the member who opened fire, and the BSF informed them that the concerned personnel had been withdrawn and attached to his battalion.

He added that the Bangladeshi youth was injured by non-lethal ammunition.

Regarding the detained Indian national, Colonel Shafikur said that the BGB had informed the BSF that Bangladeshis did not open fire on him but only detained him.

‘We are yet to hand over the Indian national to the Indian authorities,’ he said, adding that there was no connection between the shooting and the detention.