Two brothers from South Salmara–Mankachar district in Assam are in critical condition after being allegedly shot by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel while fishing in a river more than 1.5 kilometres inside Indian territory.

The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. during the intervening night of March 8 and 9, 2026.

Rashidul Islam and his younger brother Rejabul Sk, residents of Village Kanaimara 1st Part, had gone to catch fish in preparation for the holy month of Ramadan.

According to the victims’ family and a formal complaint lodged by the human rights organisation Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), personnel from BSF Outpost No. 3 under Border Outpost Dipchar opened fire without any warning or provocation.

Rashidul Islam sustained grievous bullet injuries to the abdomen, while Rejabul Sk suffered a critical gunshot wound to the head.

Both men remain in critical condition and are undergoing treatment at Gate Hospital in Guwahati.

The complaint alleges that the BSF personnel fled the scene immediately after the shooting, made no attempt to provide medical assistance, and seized no illegal items from the victims.

Local villagers and family members, alerted by the gunfire, rushed to the spot and transported the injured brothers to the hospital.

The family’s efforts to register a First Information Report (FIR) have so far been unsuccessful.

Rejina, wife of one of the victims, first approached Mankachar Police Station on March 10 but was redirected to South Salmara Police Station.

There, the written complaint was reportedly accepted, but no receipt or diary number was issued.

As of March 17, no FIR has been registered.

On the evening of March 13, Rejina submitted the complaint electronically to the Superintendent of Police, South Salmara–Mankachar district.

MASUM Secretary and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI), Kirity Roy, has petitioned the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the incident.

In the petition, Roy described the BSF’s actions as a “shocking abandonment of duty” and a blatant violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India.

He also reminded authorities of India’s obligations as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to ensure the availability of effective remedies.

MASUM has urged the NHRC to:

Order an independent and impartial investigation into the firing incident.
Direct the immediate registration of an FIR and initiation of criminal proceedings against the responsible BSF personnel.
Ensure the victims receive proper medical treatment at a government facility at the state’s expense.
Provide adequate compensation and protection to the victims and their families.

Neither the BSF nor the Assam Police has issued any official statement on the matter so far.

The case has once again highlighted concerns over reported incidents involving border security forces along the India-Bangladesh frontier in Assam.