NEW DELHI: A diplomatic row has flared between India and Bangladesh after New Delhi flatly rejected Dhaka's assertion that three Bangladeshi nationals were lynched by a mob in Tripura, and said the men died following a violent altercation while attempting to steal cattle deep inside Indian territory.
The incident, which took place on Wednesday, has escalated the war of words between the two neighbors, whose relationship has been strained since the interim government led by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus assumed power in August 2024.
The External Affairs Ministry issued a sharp rebuttal to Dhaka’s protest lodged over the deaths.
“A group of three miscreants from Bangladesh crossed the international border and attempted to steal cattle from Bidyabil village in Indian territory. They attacked and injured local villagers with iron dahs and knives, and killed one villager, even as other villagers arrived and resisted the attackers,” the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Authorities rushed to the spot, where two smugglers were found dead, and a third succumbed to his injuries in the hospital the following day.
The mortal remains of all three have been handed over to the Bangladesh side. Police have also registered a case.
“This incident underscores the need for Bangladesh to undertake necessary measures to uphold the sanctity of the International Boundary and support the construction of fencing where needed to prevent cross-border crimes and smuggling,” the spokesperson said.
The Government of Bangladesh had lodged a strong protest, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement condemning the “brutal beating and killing of three Bangladeshi citizens by a mob.”