HRSS warns of rising border deaths

At least five Bangladeshis have been killed and 14 injured in 22 alleged incidents involving India's Border Security Force (BSF) along the Bangladesh-India border between January and May 2026, according to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), highlighting continued concerns over border violence.

Issuing a statement on Saturday, HRSS also alleged that 23 Bangladeshis were detained by BSF personnel during the same period, while two others were killed in firing by Indian Khasi citizens.

Citing its monitoring data, the rights body further claimed that in 2025, at least 32 Bangladeshis were killed, 39 injured and 63 arrested in 80 alleged border incidents involving the BSF. It added that 3,493 people were pushed into Bangladesh through different border points last year, while 143 Bangladeshi fishermen were detained by the Indian Coast Guard near Indian waters in November.

Against this backdrop, HRSS on Saturday condemned the reported killing of two Bangladeshi nationals by BSF at the Kasba border in Brahmanbaria, describing the incident as a "serious extrajudicial killing" and a violation of international human rights law.

According to media reports and local witnesses, BSF personnel opened fire on Friday during a border crossing-related incident, leaving the two Bangladeshis dead on the spot and triggering panic and anger among local residents.

In its statement, HRSS said, "Such use of lethal force on unarmed civilians is a clear violation of international human rights law and humanitarian principles and is unacceptable in any way."

The organisation added, "If there is a complaint against a person, it must be dealt with through legal process; taking drastic measures like direct killing violates fundamental human rights, especially the right to life."

It also warned that repeated border killings were undermining mutual trust between Bangladesh and India despite existing bilateral relations.

HRSS demanded an immediate, impartial, transparent and credible investigation into the latest incident and called for identification and exemplary punishment of those responsible. It also sought compensation and rehabilitation support for the victims' families and urged the Bangladesh government to lodge a strong diplomatic protest and take effective measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents.