Border Security Force (BSF) sector commanders along the India-Bangladesh border have contested an order by Director General (DG) Daljit Singh Chaudhary to halt firing along the boundary for seven to ten days.
The verbal directive followed a written order on August 24 that temporarily suspended firing for a day.
The BSF's move comes amid a controversy surrounding the death of Ishaque Ali Khan Panna, a former Bangladesh Chhatra League functionary, who died on August 23 while allegedly attempting to cross the India-Bangladesh border near Meghalaya.
His body remains in the custody of Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) at Donna Cherra in Sylhet, opposite the Indian outpost in Meghalaya.
During a video call with Additional Director General (East) Ravi Gandhi, over 20 BSF sector commanders and six Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) from the ‘G Branch’ (responsible for intelligence collection) voiced strong opposition to the DG’s ceasefire order.
The commanders, mostly of DIG rank, argued that suspending firing could embolden cross-border smuggling, breach border fencing, and escalate other illegal activities along sensitive border stretches.
Despite the pushback, BSF top brass upheld the DG’s directive. Reacting to Bangladeshi media reports that Panna was shot by BSF while crossing into India, BSF Inspector General Harbux Singh Dhillon denied the allegations, calling the claims an “absolute lie.”
Dhillon clarified that Panna’s body was found in Donna Cherra, within Bangladeshi territory, where it had reportedly lain for 5-6 hours before being retrieved by the BGB.
Dhillon further stated that the BGB had not raised any issue with BSF regarding Panna’s body, noting that the incident occurred entirely within Bangladesh.
Amid speculation, some BSF sources suggested that Panna might have been lynched by a local mob or shot by BGB personnel themselves.
Meanwhile, Panna’s family is frantically urging Bangladeshi authorities to locate his body. A relative speaking anonymously to Northeast News disclosed that efforts to press the Bangladesh foreign ministry and the BGB have so far yielded no results, citing the political turmoil in the country as a hindrance.
The BGB’s 19th Battalion, known as the Zakiganj Battalion, is stationed along the border stretch covering Donna Cherra.
The BGB has not commented on the incident, and the exact circumstances of Panna’s death remain unclear.
BSF commanders have expressed concerns that the ceasefire order undermines their ability to manage cross-border threats effectively.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions and operational challenges faced by security forces along the sensitive India-Bangladesh border.
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