India rebuts Dhaka’s mob lynching claim in Tripura, MEA says 3 Bangladeshi smugglers died after crossing border
India has said that three Bangladeshi smugglers died during an altercation in Tripura. While India claims self-defence against cattle theft, Bangladesh protests against what it calls a brutal lynching. T
India on Friday said three Bangladeshi smugglers who crossed the border and attempted to steal cattle died during an altercation. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has thus rejected Dhaka’s assertion that the men were lynched by a mob in Tripura.
“We have noted that an incident in Tripura leading to the death of three Bangladesh smugglers took place on 15 October 2025, about 3 km inside Indian territory,” the MEA official spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.
Dhaka has lodged a protest over the killing of three Bangladeshi nationals who had crossed the Indian border illegally. The three Bangladeshis were killed on Wednesday by an angry mob on suspicion of being cattle thieves in a border village called Bidyabil, in the Khowai district of Tripura.
The Government of Bangladesh strongly protests and condemns the brutal beating and killing of three Bangladeshi citizens by a mob in Tripura, India, on 15 October 2025, a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh said.
What did MEA say?
India, however, rejected Bangladesh's claim, saying the three 'miscreants' attempted to ‘steal cattle from Bidyabil village’ in Indian territory
“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 MEA said, adding that authorities rushed to the spot, where two smugglers were found dead.
“A third succumbed to his injuries 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 development comes in the backdrop of strained relations between the two countries since the interim government led by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus assumed power in August 2024. The two sides have traded charges on a number of issues, including what Bangladesh describes as “border killings”.
The MEA statement said that this latest 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.
Tripura shares an 856-km-long border with Bangladesh, and cross-border crimes such as cattle smuggling and illegal infiltration have been problems in the area. While most parts of the border are fenced, infiltrators and cattle smugglers often sneak in and try to escape back into Bangladesh to avoid detection and legal action.
(With agency inputs)