India Refutes Allegations from Bangladesh, Clarifies That the Fatal Incident Was Linked to a Cattle Theft Attempt Along the Tripura Border

India on Friday strongly rejected Bangladesh’s accusation that three of its citizens were lynched by a group of agitated villagers in Tripura, saying the men were armed cattle thieves who crossed the border illegally and died following a scuffle after attacking local villagers.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made a comprehensive statement dismissing the protest from Dhaka, stating the event occurred within Indian soil and was provoked by the smugglers’ own brutal acts. “We have observed that an event in Tripura resulting in the killings of three Bangladesh smugglers occurred on 15 October 2025, approximately 3 km within Indian borders,” the MEA spokesperson responded on Friday. “

The reports of mob lynching are factually incorrect.”As per the Indian version, a band of three Bangladeshi men entered Bidyabil village in the Khowai district of Tripura crossing the international border. They are said to have tried to steal cattle and assaulted villagers using sharp objects, such as iron dahs and knives.

The ministry further stated that Indian officials responded to the scene promptly, where two of the attackers were found dead. A third, who was injured critically, died in hospital the next day. “The mortal remains of all three have been transferred to the Bangladesh side. Police have lodged a case, and investigation is in progress,” the MEA statement added.

However, Dhaka has strongly contested New Delhi’s version of events. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, the government condemned what it described as the “brutal beating and killing of three Bangladeshi citizens by a mob in Tripura, India.” The statement said the Bangladesh government “strongly protests and condemns” the killings and has lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Indian authorities.

As per reports from Dhaka, the Bangladeshi authorities assert that the men were unarmed civilians who wandered over the border, where they were reportedly beaten to death by locals. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry has called for a proper investigation and punishment of the perpetrators.

The incident has put more pressure on bilateral ties that have already been under strain for months. The two neighbors’ relations have witnessed tension building up ever since the interim government headed by Nobel laureate Dr. Mohammad Yunus took office in Bangladesh in August 2024.

Ever since, the two sides have clashed with each other in bitter exchanges on border management, trade, and the charges of “border killings.Tripura, bordering Bangladesh at a length of 856 km, has been facing cross-border offences like cattle smuggling, narcotic smuggling, and unlawful infiltration for a long time. Whereas India assures that its border troops are only in self defence or stopping illegal activity, Bangladesh has consistently complained about the killings of its citizens .

India asserts that the majority of such incidents arise from instances where armed smugglers or infiltrators clash with villagers or security forces in violent altercations.Experts say the recent episode may become a flashpoint in India–Bangladesh relations, already strained with shifts in Dhaka’s politics. “There is growing mistrust seen in the words of both governments,” a Northeast-based security expert said. “

What was done behind closed doors through diplomatic channels is now becoming political and public.”Till now, both governments have assured that the bodies of the dead were repatriated to Bangladesh, and police investigations are under way in Tripura. Officials from both countries have also exchanged preliminary talks to avoid further escalation.As India and Bangladesh continue to send each other diplomatic notes, the border killings serve once again to point up the explosive cocktail of smuggling, poverty, and suspicion that still plagues the Indo-Bangladesh frontier — an area where a single misstep can transform a night of desperation into an international row.

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