Five troops including two Army men and three members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were killed and 11 others injured in an accidental mortar shell blast during a training session of BGB unit at Ghatail Cantonment in Tangail district on Wednesday noon.
Shahinul Islam, Director of Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR), told The New Nation that the accident took place at about noon when Paramilitary BGB personnel were undergoing training under Army supervision at Ghatail field firing range in Tangail,
“Five died on the spot, while 11 others received severe injuries,” Shahinul said, adding that the condition of seven injured personnel was critical.
The injured were flown to the Dhaka Combined Military Hospital by a Bangladesh Army helicopter immediately after the accident, Saleh Mohammed Tanvir, Superintendent of Police (SP), Tangail told The New Nation.
The deceased army personnel have been identified as Senior Warrant Officer Manjur ( 4 East Bengal) and Senior Warrant Officer Perveez (20 East Bengal) and the BGB men are Sipahi Abu Sufian (3 BGB), Shipahi Ekram (3 BGB) and Lance Corporal Mohammad Ali (3 BGB). Fazlul Kabir, Officer-in-Charge of Ghatail Police Station, said the mortar shell went off at Ghatail field firing range around 12 noon during a training of BGB members under the supervision of army. The injured included an army man and 6 BGB members. OC said.
A BGB team from Jayporhat district came to the cantonment to attend an annual firing training of BGB. Two warrant officers of army were supervising training of the BGB team. At one stage, a mortar sell blasted within firing range, the officer said.
Being informed, Director General of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Major General Aziz Ahmed reached the spot.
DG Aziz Ahmed says that a mortar shell exploded accidentally during the BGB memebrs’ annual firing practice at a military training base.
