BSF pulls out finger nails of Bangladeshi man

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) tortured a Bangladeshi man by pulling out nails of all ten fingers of his hands with pliers and left him untreated for three days at Rangamati camp of Indian Malda district near the frontier with Sapahar upazila of Naogaon, BGB said. 

The man was identified as Md Azim Uddin alias Vuttu, 25, son of late Foyjul Kabir of the frontier village of Tulshidanga Dakkhin Patari in the upazila, reports our Rajshahi staff correspondent quoting BGB and police officials.

Hearing the news, members of Border Guards of Bangladesh rescued the man though a company commander level flag meeting held with their Indian counterpart at 5:00am today and admitted him to Sapahar Upazila Health Complex, Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud, director of 16 BGB Battalion, said.

"We sent a note of strong protest at the incident of inhuman torture done to him," he said adding that they proposed for a battalion commander level flag meeting over the issue on Sunday.

The man was taken to the health complex at 11: 00am, said Dr Arifuzzman.

"It was horrible to see the patient. The t-shirt and lungi, he was wearing, were stained with blood. Other than the pulled-out nails, he bore several 24 to 48 hours old injuries and bruises on his hands, legs and thighs," said the doctor.

He said the patient would take a long time to recover the wounds.

At the hospital, the torture victim Azim Uddin talked to local journalists, police and doctors.

According to Azim, he and three others of his companions went to India on April 25 without any travel documents for smuggling in cattle as they usually get Tk 8,000 from cattle traders for bringing each pair of cattle.

As they were returning to Bangladesh on the same night, Indian BSF members challenged them. Three of his companions managed safe return to Bangladesh, but he was caught.

BSF members took him to the Rangamati camp under Bamongola Police Station in Malda district and they tortured him keeping him at the camp for last three days.

At a stage, the BSF members uprooted his nails with pliers and he fainted several times during the torture, he told in front of journalists, BGB members and police.

BGB will file a case with Sapahar Police Station accusing Azim Uddin for illegally intruding into India, BGB sources said.