On Thursday, Indian authorities returned the body of a 14-year-old girl to Bangladesh after she was discovered shot dead near the border. A senior Indian official has pledged to halt "infiltration." The cordial ties between the two nations have been tested by the student-led revolt that ousted Bangladesh's leader Sheikh Hasina, who sought refuge in India on August 5. Since Hasina's removal, Indian security forces have apprehended or repatriated numerous Bangladeshis accused of attempting to cross the border illegally. Indian border patrols discovered the teenage girl with a gunshot wound during a routine check in Tripura state on Sunday, but no additional details were provided. Bangladeshi police have alleged that Indian officers were responsible for the girl's death, citing a gunshot wound to the chest, according to Binoy Bhushon Roy, a police officer in the Moulvibazar border district. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of India's Assam state, announced on Thursday that five more Bangladeshis who tried to cross had been successfully "pushed back." "We are dedicated to ensuring an Assam free of infiltration," Sarma stated in a release, commending the police for maintaining a vigilant watch along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Bangladesh is almost entirely surrounded by India, with their shared border extending over 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles). Last month, there was a tense standoff between security forces from India and Bangladesh over the construction of a fence intended to prevent cattle from straying across the border.
Text: Lara Palmer
06.09.2024
Student-led uprising in Bangladesh strains relations as Indian forces vow to stop infiltration.