Felani Killing Quest for Justice still hanging for 12 years

Muhid Hasan :
The quest for justice for Felani killing has still been hanging for 12 years as she was hanging on the barbed wire fence for four hours after she was shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on 7 January 2011 at the Anantapur border under Phulbari upazila in Kurigram.
Bangladesh woke up to the dreadful image of the 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl along with global human rights organizations, the world media. Nonetheless, Felani’s murder case has been still pending in the Supreme Court of India.
Nur Islam, father of Felani, was living in Assam, India along with his family and ran a small tea stall.
On 7 January 2011, the date of the incidence, Nur Islam along with Felani was trying to come home to Bangladesh from India through the Anantapur border in Phulbari upazila by crossing the barbed wire fences.
While crossing the fence, the BSF fired shots and Felani died on the spot.
Her lifeless body was hanging for four and a half hours from the border fence, before the body was taken away by BSF. It was handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) 30 hours after the incident.
It is reported that on seeking justice for Felani, a human rights platform in India, Manabadhikar Surakhkha Manncha, filed a writ petition with the country’s Supreme Court on July 13, 2015.
The date of hearing in the Supreme Court of India was changed several times and later the hearing was scheduled for August 28, 2018, but was finally not held. Even the case has not yet been included in the agenda of the court’s judgment.
Nur Islam said that he went to India twice for the statement of Felani killing and expected justice for her daughter in shortest possible time.
As the time goes by the hope for justice becomes overshadowed, he added.
Felani’s mother Jahanara Begum said that among her five children Felani Khatun was the eldest. Still, her emptiness is trembling our minds.
“My daughter’s dream was to get married and start a family of her own, but the BSF shattered the dream and returned her lifeless body”.
Like the other family members, Felani’s mother is still waiting for justice.
It is reported that more than 1,200 Bangladeshis have been killed across the border by Indian forces for the past two decades. Although, these two states sharing a common history, the barbed wire fence on border turns them as distant neighbors.