Sources in the BDR and police said a patrol team of BDR from Chhatak special camp challenged some motorised boats at Zilkar Haor on the borders of Companiganj, Chhatak and Sylhet sadar suspecting that they were carrying smuggled goods at about 4:40am yesterday.

As the boatmen tried to flee the scene, the BDR men fired five shots.

The border guards later caught bullet-hit Abdul Bashir, 40, of Gourinagar in Companiganj, and Samuj Ali, 30, of Shiber Bazar in Sadar upazila, while others managed to escape.

Bashir succumbed to his wounds after he was taken to the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital at 12:30pm. Sabuj is undergoing treatment there with bullet wounds in his chest and arms.

BDR seized 12.6 lakh Indian bidis and the boat.