India calls on Bangladesh to strengthen border security after three smugglers killed in Tripura
Responding to media queries on October 17, Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the incident on October 15 highlighted the urgent need for Bangladesh to "support the construction of fencing where needed to prevent cross-border crimes and smuggling."

India has urged Bangladesh to take "necessary measures to uphold the sanctity of the International Boundary" following a deadly confrontation in Tripura that left three Bangladeshi nationals and one Indian villager dead.
Responding to media queries on October 17, Official Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the incident on October 15 highlighted the urgent need for Bangladesh to "support the construction of fencing where needed to prevent cross-border crimes and smuggling."
"We have noted that an incident in Tripura leading to the death of three Bangladesh smugglers took place on October 15, 2025 about 3 kms inside Indian territory," Jaiswal stated, describing how the men crossed into Bidyabil village in Khowai district.
According to the Indian account, the three intruders attacked local villagers with iron rods and knives during an attempted cattle theft. "They attacked and injured local villagers with iron dahs and knives, and killed one villager, even as other villagers arrived and resisted the attackers," Jaiswal said.
In the ensuing violence, two of the Bangladeshi men were killed on the spot, while the third died in hospital the following day. "The mortal remains of all three have been handed over to the Bangladesh side. Police have also registered a case," the spokesperson added.
The incident has triggered a diplomatic spat, with Bangladesh lodging a strong protest and demanding an immediate investigation into what it called the "brutal beating and killing" of its citizens. Dhaka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted that "all individuals, irrespective of their nationality, are entitled to full protection of their human rights, regardless of which side of the border they may inadvertently find themselves in."
However, India's statement placed the focus squarely on border management and cross-border criminal activity, signalling that New Delhi views the incident primarily as a security and smuggling issue rather than a human rights concern.
Local villager Mithu Telanga succumbed to his injuries at GB Pant Hospital, while another injured resident, Dhiredra Telanga, remains under treatment. Police investigations are ongoing in what has become a flashpoint in India-Bangladesh border relations.
Copyright©2025 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today