Five people, including a member of the Border Guard Bangladesh, were killed in “clashes between the BGB personnel and villagers” at Gazinagar of Matiranga Upazila in Khagrachhari on Tuesday. Four of them died on the spot and another succumbed to injuries on way to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Several others have reportedly been admitted to the hospital with wounds. According to media reports, one Musa was carrying logs in a trolley along with his two sons when the BGB members stopped them at the check post. The two groups had an altercation there. At one stage, the BGB members opened fire and killed Musa and his sons. Musa’s wife Ronsu Begum, 50, died hearing the news of deaths of her husband and two sons. It was alleged that the altercation started between the two sides when BGB men tried to “confiscate” the logs Musa and his sons had cut from their garden.
However, the BGB Headquarters in a statement said the “untoward incident” occurred when the members of the force “took measures to stop smuggling of illegal logs”. Civilians surrounded the BGB personnel creating tension and at one stage the BGB fired once into the air. The civilians snatched away the border guards’ firearms and fired them haphazardly, the statement added. Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachhari district said the authorities formed a three-member committee headed by Additional District Magistrate to investigate the incident. Whatever the reason may be behind the deadly clash, no doubt it is a very shocking incident. Such clash between the villagers and members of a disciplined force cannot be accepted by any means.
We must say there should be an impartial investigation to unearth the reason behind the clash. Side by side, the authorities concerned will have to take precautionary measures so that such incident cannot happen in the future.
