Earlier, BSF troops illegally intruded into the Bangladesh territory in the early hours on Saturday and shot the farmers dead while they were irrigating their drought hit T-Aman fields near pillar no 373/2S, close to Dharmagarh outpost of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

After killing the Bangladeshi farmers, BSF troops immediately took away their bodies into the Indian Territory, the officials added.

BDR jawans of Dharmagarh outpost rushed to the spot and lodged a strong protest against the unprovoked killings of Bangladeshis and asked BSF for returning the bodies immediately through a company commander level flag meeting. BDR also sent a protest letter to BSF.

BSF agreed to return the bodies and brought those to the zero line at about 7:00pm on Saturday when a Company Commander level flag meeting was held between BSF and BDR there. Satvita Company Commander of BSF and Paria Company Commander of BDR led their respective sides in the half an hour-long meeting.

The BSF side apologised during the meeting as BDR had raised a strong protest against such unprovoked killings of innocent Bangladeshis and assured BDR that such incidents would not be repeated in future.

The BDR side categorically asked BSF not to kill any innocent Bangladeshis anytime in future in the greater interest of maintaining law and order and friendly relations between the two neighbouring border guards.

Later, Indian Police handed over the bodies, of Abu Taleb, 20, son of Bohiuddin of frontier village Chikni Chakma and Azmal Hossain, 24, son of Kabir Hossain of the same village under Ranishankoil upazila to an official of Ranisonkoil Police Station in presence of BSF and BDR officials at about 7:45pm.

Ranishankoil police later handed over the bodies to their parents after completing some legal formalities. They were laid to eternal rest at their respective family graveyards that night, the officials added.