Border killings still continue despite India’s repeated promises

Editorial Desk :
Two Bangladeshi youths were shot dead allegedly by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the Barakhata Dolapara border in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat on Thursday. Amid the height of friendship between the bordering nations, unabated border killing is gruesome, however, Dhaka hardly protests the killing of its citizens. Earlier, we have seen ministers of the government lament the victims as criminals without blaming Indian forces for using lethal weapons.
Locals said a patrolling team of BSF opened fire around 12:30 am when 18 to 20 Bangladeshi people crossed the border to bring cattle from India. The two succumbed to their injuries after the other team members brought them back to Bangladesh territory. Their bodies were taken to their respective houses.
BSF is continuously shooting, killing, torturing and abducting unarmed Bangladeshi civilians in the border areas violating the international norms and treaties. Members of the BSF also illegally enter Bangladesh territory and attack people residing along the border, shooting and kidnapping Bangladeshis. The India-Bangladesh border is probably the most vulnerable and bloodiest border in the world. In some cases, the Bangladesh Border Guard’s irresponsibleness is responsible for border violence.
Most news reports are available that simply overlook the crime. While many Bangladeshi people who are living near the borderline accused border guards of actually taking bribes and helping in the smuggling. Sadly, Bangladeshi border officials have also suggested that such killings are acceptable if the victim was engaged in smuggling.
Promises overflowed, and performance to stop border killing was zero in the decades. No Bangladeshi government succeeded to stop border killings or bring New Delhi under international investigation. India also has a border with Pakistan, Myanmar and China but there are no such casualties reported. Despite the incumbent’s strong ties with India, the issue of border killing is absent from the discussion. We provided many facilities to India and served India’s interest on several fronts, however, the most deserving ‘stopping border killing’ is still hovering.