A Bangladeshi smuggler was unintentionally shot dead during a Border Security Force (BSF) operation to stop cross-border smuggling in West Bengal’s Nadia district. The incident took place on November 29 at about 3:30 pm, when BSF personnel detected Indian smugglers attempting to throw parcels across the border fence to Bangladeshi counterparts waiting on the other side. According to sources, the Bangladeshi smugglers were armed with sharp local weapons, prompting the BSF to first issue a warning and then advance toward them after replacing blank rounds with live ammunition.
As the BSF closed in, one of the Bangladeshi smugglers reportedly attacked a BSF soldier with a sharp weapon. The blow struck the handguard of the soldier’s rifle, causing his finger to press the trigger accidentally. The smuggler collapsed immediately from the gunshot. Hearing the firing, the remaining smugglers panicked, initially attempting to drag the injured man away before fleeing and abandoning him. The BSF personnel transported the injured smuggler to a local hospital, where he was declared dead.
A subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of several weapons, 96 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup, and two bottles of foreign liquor, all of which were handed over to the local police along with the body of the deceased. Phensedyl, a codeine-based cough syrup frequently trafficked across the India–Bangladesh border, remains one of the most dominant contraband items in the region.
Following the incident, the South Bengal Frontier BSF spokesperson stated that troops deployed along the border continue to perform their duties with vigilance and restraint. The BSF has repeatedly raised concerns with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) over infiltration and violent attacks on Indian troops by Bangladeshi smugglers. Officials say inadequate action across the border has emboldened smuggling networks and increased the risk of clashes.
