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When will killings on the borders come to an end? 

Published : Sunday, 15 September, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 625
Advocate Md Rayhan Ali
Incidents of killings at the border are increasing day by day. Cross-border infiltration has become a major socio-economic threat in South Asian countries today. Every year hundreds of thousands of people cross the border illegally for various reasons. Besides, smuggling has increasingly become a law and order problem in the Indo-Bangladesh border areas. The firing by the Indian Border Guard Force (BSF) to prevent this smuggling and border crossing is increasing the number of border deaths.

The news of killings at the border is not new but it is old but still there is no permanent solution to stop the killings at the border. Many citizens of this country like Felani, Swarna Das, Shri Jayanthar have to die in firing by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF). Such indiscriminate killings by BSF are protested by our state. Most of those protests are in the letter of protest sent to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Amidst these strong condemnations and protests, the India-Bangladesh Border Guards flag meeting is almost over and may remain. Unfortunately, the Indian authorities have always condoned these killings. No one knows when such brutality of Indian BSF will end.

Recently, two cases of killings on the border have become much discussed and criticized in the media. 

On September 1, Swarna suddenly saw the BSF as soon as she reached the reservoir near Lalarchak border of Sharifpur union of Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar. At that time he was terrified and begged to take us under the shelter of Merona law. Instead of replying to the words spoken in Bengali, the chest of the schoolgirl Swarna was grazed by BSF bullets. Bangladesh has formally protested to the Indian government over the killing of Swarna DasIn a letter of protest sent to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday (September 5), Bangladesh strongly condemned and protested such brutal incident and expressed deep concern over the incident.

The leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement called for immediate action to stop the border killings at the international and global level. They said steps should be taken to bring the BSF personnel who killed Swarna Das to justice.

The second is the firing by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) of a Bangladeshi teenager named Shri Jayant (15) at Dhantala border at Baliadangi in Thakurgaon. The incident happened on Monday (September 9) morning in Baliadangi Upazila Dhantala border in the area adjacent to Pillar No. 393. But the body of the dead teenager was taken by the BSF, the relatives said. The deceased Jayant Lahiri is the son of Mahadev of Battali village of Dhantala Union.

The most talked about incident of Indian BSF bullet shooting on the border is the Felani murder case. 15-year-old Felani Khatun was killed in the early hours of January 7, 2011. Felani was returning from India to Bangladesh with his father through Anantapur border in the border district of Kurigram. Felani worked as a domestic worker in New Delhi with her father. He was returning home for marriage. Kishori Felani was shot dead by jawans of Chowdhuryhat camp of BSF 181 battalion while crossing the barbed wire fence of the border. After Felani's murder, his body was hanging on the barbed wire fence for a long time. The body of the teenage girl Felani hanging on the barbed wire caused a great stir in the media of the country and abroad. The family of the deceased Felani claimed that they did not get justice in the much-discussed-criticized case. The BSF court acquitted the killer BSF member. After that, the case was brought to the Supreme Court of India, but it has not been tried even today.

I don't know why it is not possible to stop killings on the border or bring it to zero! This is one of the many killings on the border. That is, at the beginning of the year, in the early morning of January 21, a BGB member, Sepoy Mohammad Raishuddin, was killed by the BSF on the border. Once again, there is a storm of discussion and criticism in the media at home and abroad about the murders on the border. The border guards of the two countries have given completely contradictory statements about this murder. 

According to the BSF (Border Security Force), they did not realize that the deceased was a member of the BGB as he was wearing a lungi and T-shirt and was seen inside the Indian border along with the smugglers. The BSF also commented that they do not understand how a BGB member can wear a lungi and T-shirt and join the gang of smugglers. The Indian Border Guard is also raising the question, why did a BGB member enter the Indian border with the smugglers in plain clothes?

On the other hand, we were told by BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh) that while chasing the smugglers, their constable Mohammad Raishuddin disappeared in the thick fog and was shot by the BSF. The BGB was later informed that he died in an Indian hospital and his body was handed over to Bangladesh two days later (Wednesday).

According to the information of BBC News Bangla, the National Human Rights Commission of India and Bangladesh should jointly investigate this incident, the Indian human rights organization Masum has requested. 

They say the crime of entering India's borders and alleged smuggling never carries the death penalty under Indian law. And BSF has no right to punish. They could have been arrested and taken to court, why was someone shot dead?

In another statistic, a human rights organization reported that between 2000 and 2019, the BSF killed 1,185 Bangladeshis along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Despite India's firm commitment to zero border killings by 2020 - 16 out of 42 civilian casualties, 23 in 2022 and at least 22 Bangladeshi nationals have been shot dead by the BSF.

Killings occur on the border for various reasons. Border Residents Many people cross the border regularly to visit relatives, shop in bazaars, and find work. Also, many people have to cross the border for farming in the farmland near the zero line of the border or for fishing in the river. Some of these engage in various petty and serious cross-border crimes. The Border Force is mandated to combat illegal activities, particularly drug smuggling, human trafficking for sex work, and the transportation of counterfeit currency and explosives.

The government will work to stop the border killings, said Foreign Affairs Advisor MdTouhid Hossain. He said, 'When the Bangladesh-India relationship was called the golden chapter, there was still border killing. The government will do whatever it takes to stop it."

If someone illegally trespasses on the border of a country, then he will be arrested and handed over to the law and will be prosecuted according to the laws of that country, but to shoot illegal intruders like birds indiscriminately without regard for law and court is completely illegal and a clear violation of human rights.

We need to strengthen our country's efforts towards a permanent and effective solution with India and Myanmar to stop border killings. 

The writer is an advocate, Judge Court, Khulna



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