November 18, 2008	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 19, 1429

DHAKA, Nov 17: Three Bangladeshis including a mother and child were shot dead by Indian troops along the border between the two countries, triggering a protest by Dhaka, Bangladesh’s border force said on Monday.

They accused India’s Border Security Force (BSF) personnel of intruding into Bangladesh territory near Tentulia, in the north, on Sunday night and and opening fire indiscriminately.

Three Bangladesh nationals were killed and another critically wounded in the shooting, said a spokesman of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) border guard.

“We have lodged a strong protest with the BSF over the incident and tightened security along the border,” he said.

He said Tentulia villagers held a BSF constable with firearms and handed him to the BDR. He was injured, apparently beaten by the villagers, and has been admitted to a hospital, the BDR spokesman said. Indian authorities promised to take strong action against the constable for straying into Bangladeshi territory and killing three people.

“He was probably mentally disturbed, we aim to find out what exactly happened when he returns and take appropriate action,” K. Srinivasan, a senior BSF official said in New Delhi.

Despite generally friendly relations, Indian and Bangladeshi border guards often exchange fire along their porous border which stretches 4,000 km through rice fields, hills, jungles, marshes and rivers.

The victims are usually smugglers, cattle thieves and illegal migrants, they say.—Reuters