Indian police recovered the bodies of two minor siblings from Digla Kura of Zero Line at Kashiabari border in Phulbari of Kurigram around 1pm on Sunday.
Police identified the victims as Parveen Khatun, 8 and Shakibul Hasan, 4.
The victims were the children of Rahim Uddin of Poschim Shukati village in Newashi union of Nageshwari upazila.
The two siblings went missing while crossing the Nilkumor River, after the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) chased them as they were in a group looking to cross the border at Phulbari in Kurigram to enter Bangladesh without any paperwork on Friday night.
Local people spotted their floating bodies this morning and informed law enforcers, said Kabir Hossain, company commander of Lalmonihat’s Kashipur.
“We informed the BSF about the matter”, he said, adding that a flag meeting between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Security Forces (BSF) was held in this regard.
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BSF said the bodies of the victims in the morgue would remain for a week. They will take humanitarian consideration about the issue after getting their Bangladeshi documents, he added.
Rahim Uddin, the father of the missing children, said that his children were born and brought up in India. They had never previously come to Bangladesh.
“I wanted to bring them along with their mother to Bangladesh and I contacted Indian brokers to bring them home safely, paying Tk 30,000,” Rahim Uddin revealed.
According to the contract, Rahim Uddin’s wife and two children were taken to a house on the border on Friday night. There were 20-25 more people there including women and children.
He further said that they tried to cross the Rdhampur border of Kashipur union of Phulbari upazila next to the main pillar No. 943 at midnight. At that time, BSF members of Shewti-1 camp in India gave chase after seeing them and they tried to cross the river hurriedly.
At one stage, they went missing due to the strong current in the river. However, his wife managed to swim ashore, he added.
Mecher, a UP member of Ward 4 of Newashi Union in Nageshwari Upazila, said he came to Kashipur BGB camp to bring back the bodies from India.
Source: United News of Bangladesh