A suspected Bangladeshi cough syrup smuggler was gunned down by the BSF near the India-Bangladesh border in Malda on Tuesday night.

The incident, sources said, occurred at Nawda in Malda's Kaliachak.

The Bangladeshi victim, Mohammad Shahidul Haque, 35, had allegedly attacked three BSF personnel of the 70th battalion of the central security force. Some others were with him.

“To defend themselves, the jawans fired three rounds. The smugglers, who had gathered to smuggle cough syrup bottles to Bangladesh, fled. Later, one of them was found dead near the fence. He was sent to Malda Medical College and Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead," said a BSF official.

Some sharp weapons and firearms that the smugglers left were seized from the spot, he claimed.

Haque, sources said, lived in Shibganj of Chapai-Nawabganj district of Bangladesh.

“Since last year, we knew about him. Another smuggler who smuggles cough syrup to Bangladesh revealed his name. He reached near the fence on Tuesday to collect an illegal consignment of cough syrup,” the official added.

On Wednesday, BSF had a flag meeting with the Border Guard Bangladesh officials. The BGB was apprised of the incident, said sources.

Sent back

Abu Talem Shanto, a 15-year-old Bangladeshi national of Dinajpur, was nabbed by troops of the 72nd battalion of the BSF in Bengal's North Dinajpur district on Tuesday.

He had inadvertently crossed the border on his bike and was clicking a selfie with his phone on Indian territory. Later, the BSF got a request from the BGB that the teenager be released. The boy and his two-wheeler were handed over to the BGB at a flag meeting on Tuesday.

'Force-fed pesticide', Malda youth dies

A Malda youth was allegedly thrashed and forced to drink pesticide on Tuesday night by family members of a girl with whom he was in a relationship.

Chiranjit Mondal, 22, died on Wednesday. His family members filed a complaint against the girl’s family with Baishnabnagar police.

Sources said Chiranjit, a third-year student of Malda South College, lived in Baishnabnagar's Rameswarpur.

Around 10pm on Tuesday, he got a call from the girl and never returned. "He called up his friends to say the girl’s family members had beaten him and forced him to drink pesticide. His friends admitted him to a rural hospital in Bedrabad,” Indrajit, his brother, said. Shifted to a private hospital, he was then taken to Malda Medical College and Hospital early on Wednesday where doctors pronounced him dead.

4 arrested

Four goons, suspected to have planned a crime, were arrested by the police in Jalpaiguri's Dhupguri on Tuesday night. Sharp-edged weapons were found from their pick-up van.