NAGESHWARI, KURIGRAM, Jan 6: Tomorrow, 7 January, marks 15 years since the killing of Felani on the Kurigram border.
On this day in 2011, she was shot dead by BSF personnel at the Uttar Anantapur border in Phulbari Upazila of Kurigram District. She was returning to the country with her father that day, crossing the barbed wire fence by climbing a ladder near pillar no. 3 of sub-international pillar no. 947. Amiyo Ghosh, a BSF member from the Chaudhurihaat camp on patrol, shot and killed her. Her family still hopes for the desired justice in this incident.
Visiting South Ramkhana Colony Tari Village in Ramkhana Union of Nageshwari Upazila, Felani's family was found busy preparing for the day. Cleaning work was underway at the graveyard and its surroundings. There, conversations were held with her father, Nurul Islam, and mother, Johura. They still cannot forget the painful memories of that day. In their sleep, they hear the screams of their daughter Felani, hanging like a bird pierced by bullets on the wire fence. Their sleep is suddenly broken in the deep of night. Tears stream from their eyes. The mother sobs and cries. For the past 15 years, their days and nights have passed in such grief for their daughter. They have not received the desired justice despite appealing to human rights organisations and many individuals.
Tensions have recently been ongoing between the interim government, formed after the July Revolution, and the neighbouring country's government over various issues, including border killings. Amidst this, on 9 December, this government renamed the road from Gulshan-2 to Progoti Swarani as Felani Road. Prior to this, on 13 September 2024, in protest of border killings, the People's Activists Coalition (PAC) declared the road adjacent to the Indian embassy in Gulshan as 'Shaheed Felani Road' and installed a plaque there.
Meanwhile, for the past few years, the Citizens' Council in Dhaka has been observing programmes demanding the declaration of 7 January as Felani Day, justice for the killing, financial compensation for Felani's family, and naming the Baridhara Park Road under Dhaka North City Corporation as Felani Swarani.
Convener of the Citizens' Council, Mohammad Shamsuddin, stated that while their demanded road was not renamed, they applaud and are grateful to the interim government for renaming the road from Gulshan-2 to Progoti Swarani as Felani Road.
Furthermore, in 2015, they submitted a memorandum to the UN Secretary-General calling for a worldwide halt to border killings and the observance of 7 January as Felani Day. Later, when contacted on the matter, they were informed that, for its implementation, any member state of the UN would have to bring a proposal. In this case, the government must take the initiative. They are now awaiting that move.
It is known that the trial proceedings for Felani's killing began on 13 August 2013 at the General Security Forces Court set up at the BSF's 181 headquarters in Cooch Behar District. On 5 September, the accused BSF Member Amiyo Ghosh was declared not guilty. Rejecting the verdict, on 11 September, Felani's father sent a letter to the Indian government via the Indian High Commission, hoping for fair justice. Again, on 22 September 2014, retrial proceedings began but were suspended multiple times for various reasons.
Later in 2015, the Law and Arbitration Centre and India's Human Rights Protection Platform filed another compensation case. On 31 August, India's National Human Rights Commission requested its government to provide Felani's family with 500,000 rupees as compensation. In response, that country's Home Ministry issued a statement blaming Felani's father Nurul Islam. Afterwards, hearings were postponed several times in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Subsequently, a hearing date was set for 18 March 2020, but it has not taken place to date.
It was not possible to contact human rights activist and lawyer Abraham Lincoln, a member of the Bangladeshi representative team for the Felani murder case. On the other hand, when contacted, Kurigram District Sessions Court Public Prosecutor lawyer Bazlur Rashid declined to comment.
Additionally, on 27 September 2013, regarding the Felani killing incident, Felani's father Nurul Islam (1st plaintiff), and the President of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association, lawyer Salma Ali (2nd plaintiff), filed a criminal case in the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi, under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, against the Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Justice (Union of India) and the Director General of BSF, demanding a transparent and impartial trial and compensation. On 21 July 2015, they filed another application seeking interim compensation for Felani's father.
Regarding this, human rights activist and President of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association, lawyer Salma Ali, informed via mobile phone that the case has been pending for a long time in the Supreme Court of India.
