The Bangladesh Government has condemned the lynching of 3 Bangladeshi cattle smugglers in Tripura. In a statement on Friday, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that Indian authorities punish the villagers for confronting the Bangladeshi cattle thieves.
The statement said, “This heinous act is an unacceptable and grave violation of human rights and the rule of law. The Government of Bangladesh expresses its serious concern over this deplorable incident and calls upon the Government of India to conduct an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident and take sincere efforts to stop recurrence of such inhumane acts. The perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice.”
The statement said further, “The Government of Bangladesh underscores that all individuals, irrespective of their nationality, are entitled to the full protection of their human rights, regardless of which side of the border they may inadvertently find themselves in.”
BGB earlier admitted that the Bangladesh nationals were cattle thieves
A senior BGB official had told Bangladeshi media, “Initial reports suggest the victims may have entered India with the intention of cattle smuggling. Fearing theft, local Indian residents attacked them at night. All three died on the spot.”
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The Indian authorities had contacted their Bangladeshi counterparts to verify their identities. The deceased have been identified as Juel Miah, Sajal Miah, and Pandit Miah. The cattle smugglers were residents of Habibganj in Bangladesh.
What happened in Tripura?
In the state’s Khowai district, a violent confrontation broke out between the cattle smugglers and villagers. The cattle smugglers attacked 2 villagers with sharp edged weapons and critically injured them. After somehow managing to escape the situation, the villagers alerted others.
When a larger group of villagers reached the spot, a violent clash ensued. The villagers killed the cattle smugglers on the spot. The Tripura Police confirmed the chain of events. Since then, the Police have handed over the corpses to Bangladeshi authorities.
While the Interim Government of Bangladesh adopts a critical stance against India, it needs to address the question of why were the Bangladeshi citizens in India illegally. Furthermore, in their statement, they claim that the cattle thieves entered India ‘inadvertently’. This is contrary to all evidence.
The Bangladeshi nationals had entered India to steal cattle. They were not here ‘inadvertently’. Additionally, they attacked Indian villagers with weapons. The statement by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry further betrays their intention to create tensions with India at the border. It is not only unacceptable but also preposterous for the Yunus Government to demand action against Indian nationals for defending themselves against violent criminals.
