Staff Reporter :
The Interim Government has strongly condemned the killing of any Bangladeshi citizen by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and has called on the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to carry out their duties with professionalism.
Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Choudhury firmly reminded India that this government no longer wants to witness tragic incidents like Felani’s death at the border.
Speaking at a meeting with senior BGB officials at a border conference center in Pilkhana on Saturday, the Home Affairs Adviser emphasized that ensuring border security and preventing smuggling are the BGB’s primary responsibilities. He urged the force to act with diligence, stating, “We don’t want to see incidents like Felani’s anymore. Don’t turn your backs at the border. Fulfill your assigned duties.”
Choudhury also issued a stern warning against corruption, instructing BGB members to steer clear of any involvement in bribery. “Corruption will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” he stated, promising strict punitive measures, including potential dismissal for those found guilty of corruption.
BGB Director General Major General Ashrafuzzaman Siddique and other senior officials, including regional commanders, sector commanders, and battalion commanders, attended the event, with others joining via video teleconference.
The Home Affairs Adviser’s comments come shortly after former Home Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain, now Adviser for the Ministry of Textiles and Jute and the Ministry of Shipping, addressed the issue on August 13.
Hossain had similarly urged the BGB to maintain a strong stance at the border, stating, “Our people get killed at the border, and the BGB is forced to hold flag meetings. I’ve said, ‘Don’t turn your backs. Enough is enough.’”
The recent killing of a minor Hindu girl by BSF in Moulvibazar has provoked a sharp reaction from the Interim Government. Following the incident, the Foreign Ministry immediately lodged a formal note of protest with the Indian Government.
Bangladesh’s government reiterated that such border killings are both undesirable and unwarranted, violating the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities established in 1975.
It called on the Indian Government to halt these heinous acts, investigate all border killings, identify those responsible, and bring them to justice.
Despite repeated promises to reduce border killings along the Bangladesh-India border to zero, the violence continues.
According to Ain O Salish Kendra, more than 200 Bangladeshis were killed by the BSF between January 2018 and December 2023, with many more subjected to torture.
In 2023 alone, 28 people were killed, and 31 suffered severe physical abuse.
The BSF killed the most Bangladeshis in 2020, with 42 shot dead and six others tortured to death. In 2019, 43 people were killed, while 37 were shot and six died from torture. In 2018, the fewest number of deaths from BSF shootings occurred.
From 2009 to 2017, 291 Bangladeshis were killed by the BSF, with 2009 seeing the highest number of deaths. Although efforts to reduce border killings have been discussed in numerous high-profile meetings between Dhaka and Delhi, the killings continue, casting a long shadow over bilateral relations.