[🇧🇩] Atrocities of BSF/How BGB responds

[Saif]

Fire breaks out at Secretariat building

A fire broke out at the Secretariat in Segunbagicha area of Dhaka early Thursday. The fire reportedly started at 1:52 am in the building number 7 of the secretariat, as per private television channels. Eighteen units of fire service are working to extinguish the fire. During this efforts, a fire

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Border killings are never acceptable: Mirza Fakhrul
UNB
Published :
Dec 25, 2024 21:14
Updated :
Dec 25, 2024 21:14

Border killings should never be accepted under any circumstances, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday.

Fakhrul made the remark after arriving in Sylhet on a personal visit.

Speaking to the media at Sylhet Osmani International Airport, he said, "India should stop border killings. BNP has always demanded this, and we stand firm that border killings should never be accepted."

He also said that it is the collective responsibility of the people to build a country free from fascism. "BNP is committed to restoring democracy in Bangladesh," he added.

Among others, BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Sylhet District BNP President Abdul Qayum Chowdhury, Sylhet Metropolitan BNP Acting President Rezaul Hasan Qays Lodi, Sylhet District BNP General Secretary Advocate Emran Ahmed Chowdhury, and Sylhet Metropolitan BNP General Secretary Emdad Hossain Chowdhury were also present.​

 

[Saif]

Border of blood

THE India-Bangladesh border, stretching over 4,096 kilometres and ranked as the fifth-longest land border in the world, stands as one of the most militarised. While serving...

www.newagebd.net

Border of blood
by Md Obaidullah and Md Sohrab Hossen 31 December, 2024, 00:00

THE India-Bangladesh border, stretching over 4,096 kilometres and ranked as the fifth-longest land border in the world, stands as one of the most militarised. While serving as a critical locus for bilateral trade and cultural exchange, the border has also become infamous for its episodes of violence: the killings of Bangladeshi nationals by India’s Border Security Force.

These incidents raise important and pertinent questions about the balance between border security and human rights, with India citing the necessity to curb smuggling and infiltration and Bangladesh emphasising the violation of human dignity and international norms.

Historical context of the border

THE Radcliffe Line, named after Cyril Radcliffe, marked the boundary demarcated during the Partition of India in 1947. Radcliffe was tasked with the challenge of equitably dividing 450,000 square kilometres (175,000 square miles) of territory, home to 88 million people, along religious lines — primarily between Hindus and Muslims. This division led to the partition of Bengal, transferring East Bengal to Pakistan. In 1971, East Bengal gained independence to become Bangladesh, which continues to share the Radcliffe Line as its border with the Republic of India.

India’s perspective on border security: myth or reality?

CENTRAL to India’s border discourse is the issue of illegal migration, particularly from Bangladesh, which has often been framed as a national security threat and a demographic challenge, especially in border states like Assam and West Bengal. However, while the political rhetoric around migration is strong, the actual data paints a different picture.

Political narrative vs ground reality

INDIAN political leaders have frequently highlighted illegal immigration to justify controversial policies like the National Register of Citizens, NRC. In 2004, Sriprakash Jaiswal, then minister of state for home affairs, claimed there were 12 million illegal Bangladeshis in India. By 2016, Kiren Rijiju, the then minister of state for home affairs, said the figure had escalated to 20 million. These alarming numbers have been weaponised in public discourse, with politicians blaming immigrants for unemployment and resource scarcity. For instance, Indian home minister Amit Shah once remarked, ‘They are (immigrants) eating the grain that should go to the poor.’

However, a closer examination reveals significant contradictions in these claims. Between 2011 and March 2020, only 15,176 Bangladeshis were granted Indian citizenship — a figure officially provided by the Indian Parliament. Notably, 14,864 of these cases were linked to the Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement of 2015, a formal exchange of enclaves between the two nations. Under this bilateral agreement, enclave residents were granted Indian citizenship. Excluding this land swap, the number of Bangladeshis granted Indian citizenship through other means is a mere 312.

This data, indeed, contrasts with the political rhetoric suggesting rampant illegal immigration. It becomes evident that border violence, often cited as a measure to curb illegal immigration, is less about infiltration and more about the clashes of interest involving the Border Security Force and smugglers. Smuggling activities, which invariably involve participants from both India and Bangladesh, seem to persist under implicit arrangements. The BSF’s actions, however, disproportionately target Bangladeshi individuals, raising questions about selective enforcement. Each fatal incident serves as a grim reminder that smuggling continues with the tacit understanding that the BSF must be ‘satisfied’ for such activities to proceed.

These discrepancies illustrate how the issue of illegal immigration is often exaggerated for political purposes, creating a narrative that fuels public anxieties while distracting from the underlying complexities of border management and enforcement.

Weaponising the migration narrative

THE narrative of ‘illegal Bangladeshis’ is not merely a security concern but has evolved into a potent political tool. It is regularly invoked to justify strict border policies, communal polarisation, and even economic stagnation. Claims that migrants ‘take away jobs’ or ‘burden public resources’ have been amplified without substantial evidence. For example, in 2020, then minister of state for home affairs G Kishan Reddy remarked, ‘Half of Bangladesh will be empty if India starts granting them citizenship.’ Such hyperbolic statements resonate in public discourse but remain disconnected from verifiable data.

An unspoken tragedy

THE India-Bangladesh border has long been a site of systemic human rights violations, with the Indian Border Security Force’s persistent killings, abductions, and torture since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. It highlights a failure to uphold human dignity alongside security. From 1972 to 2023, 5,288 killings have been recorded along the border, with the peak occurring between 2002 and 2011, accounting for 44.4 per cent of all deaths and an average of 234.9 killings per year. While there has been a reported decline in recent years — 95 killings in 2022–2023 with an annual average of 47.5 — the scale of this violence is neither normal nor justifiable. These figures are not the hallmarks of border security; they reveal a pattern of state-sanctioned human rights abuses that have disproportionately impacted Bangladeshi citizens.

One case that epitomises this inhumanity is the tragic killing of Felani Khatun, a 15-year-old girl who was shot dead on January 7, 2011 while crossing back into Bangladesh through Phulbari Upazila, Kurigram. Felani, caught in the barbed wire, hung there for five hours, bleeding to death, as BSF personnel stood idly by. The horrifying image of her lifeless body dangling from the fence shook the world’s conscience, sparking outrage and demands for justice. In response, the National Human Rights Commission of India recommended a mere Rs 500,000 compensation for her family in 2015. But such monetary compensation is grossly inadequate and morally hollow — how can a price ever be placed on the life of an innocent child whose only crime was crossing an arbitrary line drawn in history?

The BSF often justifies these killings by alleging that victims are engaged in illegal activities such as cattle smuggling. However, the credibility of this defence collapsed when India’s own Enforcement Directorate, during a case in West Bengal, revealed that BSF officials were directly involved in organised cattle smuggling into Bangladesh. This damning revelation exposes a brutal irony: the same security forces that claim to combat illegal activities are complicit in perpetuating them. It raises critical questions about the legitimacy of border operations, systemic corruption, and the impunity that allows such acts to continue unchecked.

For the thousands of Bangladeshi citizens living near the border, this violence has become an inescapable part of daily life. Families endure not only the loss of loved ones but also constant fear, economic instability, and a breakdown of trust in cross-border governance.The indiscriminate use of lethal force, arbitrary detentions, and torture by the BSF violates both India’s constitutional principles and its obligations under international human rights frameworks, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Conflict resolution and addressing border killings

INDIA, as the world’s largest democracy and a key regional power, must hold itself to a higher standard. A secure border cannot and must not come at the cost of innocent lives. The repeated pledges by Indian authorities to limit the use of lethal weapons have largely remained empty promises. True reform requires systemic changes.

A number of actions are essential to addressing the persistent human rights abuses along the India-Bangladesh border. First, international human rights organisations such as the United Nations should keep a careful eye on the Border Security Force’s operations, investigate any infractions, and hold those responsible for them accountable. In order to monitor such violations, such as arbitrary murders and torture, a specialised human rights watchdog ought to be set up in the border regions. The government of Bangladesh must denounce transgressions, insist on open investigations, and pursue victim reparations. Furthermore, both nations ought to cooperate in enacting laws and providing financial assistance to enhance the security and welfare of border communities.

Another top focus is combating corruption and smuggling at the border. While local law enforcement and elected officials must locate and dismantle smuggling networks, the Border Guard Bangladesh should improve coordination with the BSF to stop illicit operations. The BSF should prioritise peaceful conflict resolution by implementing international standards for the use of force. To look into human rights abuses, an impartial, independent commission must be set up, and citizens of both countries must be able to file complaints and provide evidence. This body shall function openly and guarantee justice for anyone injured by violations connected to the border.

The border should be a bridge, not a battleground. How many more lives must be lost before we realise that humanity must always come before security?

Md Obaidullah is a visiting scholar in the department of development studies at Daffodil International University, Dhaka. His research focuses on International Relations, Migration, Foreign Policy, and Asian Politics. Md Sohrab Hossen is a senior officer in the inquiry, safeguarding, and grievance management committee at BRAC. His research interests include social vulnerabilities and politics, human rights, governance, and geopolitics.​

 

[Saif]

14 YEARS OF FELANI MURDER: Justice yet to be ensured

Today marks 14 years of the murder of teenage girl Felani Khatun, who was shot dead by the Indian Border Security Force on the border in Kurigram in 2011, with her family still waiting for justice.

www.newagebd.net

14 YEARS OF FELANI MURDER: Justice yet to be ensured
Staff Correspondent 07 January, 2025, 00:15

588 Bangladeshis killed by BSF in 15yrs: Odhikar

Today marks 14 years of the murder of teenage girl Felani Khatun, who was shot dead by the Indian Border Security Force on the border in Kurigram in 2011, with her family still waiting for justice.

The country continued to witness such incidents of border killing as at least 30 Bangladeshis were killed in BSF firing in 2024 alone.

In February 2020, an Indian High Court bench set the Felani killing case for further hearing on March 18.

Felani’s father Nur Islam Nuru and her mother Jahanara Begum expressed dissatisfaction as the court was yet to hear the case, New Age correspondent in Kurigram reported.

‘It has been 14 years that we are yet to get justice. We have taken the trial to the Indian Supreme Court but the hearing date has been deferred. We have heard several days ago that the hearing would take place but the date is yet to be fixed,’ said Nur Islam Nur. He said that he sought justice for her daughter’s killing before his death.

Felani’s mother Jahanara Begum said that they had demanded justice for her daughter’s killing but to no avail.

From January 2009 to November 2024, the BSF allegedly killed 588 Bangladeshis and injured 773 Bangladeshis, according to rights body Odhikar’s data.

Felani, a 15-year-old girl, was shot dead by the BSF in the Anantapur border area under Phulbari upazila in Kurigram on January 7, 2011, when she was returning home crossing barbed wire fences erected by India.

Her body was left hanging from the barbed wire fence for five hours and the news sparked outrage and protests at home and abroad.

District and Sessions Judge Court, Kurigram former public prosecutor SM Abraham Lincoln said that the Indian Supreme Court had listed the case writ petition.

‘If the justice for the Felani killing is ensured, Bangladeshi people would get protection from border killings in the days to come,’ he added.

Rights group Odhikar in a statement on Monday said that the killing of Felani was a grim example of the Indian government’s aggressive attitude towards Bangladesh.

‘The indiscriminate killing and torturing of Bangladeshi citizens regardless of age are nothing new for the BSF. Every year, a large number of Bangladeshi citizens are killed or injured by being shot or by torture by the BSF in border areas,’ said Odhikar marking 14 years of Felani killing.

Odhikar will hold mass gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar at about 3:00pm today protesting at the killings of Bangladeshi nationals, including Felani, torture and enforced disappearance by the Indian authority.

Protesting at the Felani killing on the Indian border, a solo photography exhibition of Parvez Ahmad Rony at Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park in Gulshan, was organised by Drik, said a Drik press release.

The exhibition titled Border That Builds will be held from January 7 to January 9. The exhibition will be inaugurated today at 12 noon.​

 

[Saif]

বাংলাদেশের ভেতরে কাঁটাতারের বেড়া, বিজিবি-বিএসএফ উত্তেজনা

 

[Saif]

বাংলাদেশি জেলেদের সাথে ভারতীয় বাহিনীর প্রতারণার হৃদয়বিদারক বর্ণনা​

​

​

​

 

[Saif]

14 YEARS OF FELANI MURDER: End to border killings by India demanded

Rights bodies, student platforms and other organisations on Tuesday remembered the day of the killing of Felani Khatun by India’s Border Security Force 14 years ago with renewed protests and...

www.newagebd.net

14 YEARS OF FELANI MURDER: End to border killings by India demanded
Staff Correspondent 08 January, 2025, 00:38

Jatiya Nagorik Committee holds a rally, protesting at killing on border by Indian Border Security Force to mark the 14 years of Felani Khatun killing, in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh in Dhaka on Tuesday. | New Age photo

Rights bodies, student platforms and other organisations on Tuesday remembered the day of the killing of Felani Khatun by India’s Border Security Force 14 years ago with renewed protests and call to end border killings and Indian aggression against Bangladesh.

Ousted Awami League government and its prime minister Sheikh Hasina genuflected to India, failing to end the killings of Bangladesh nationals at border by the BSF, said rights activists, politicians and student leaders at a rally at Central Shaheed Minar in the capital, marking 14 years of Felani murder.

Organised by rights group Odhikar, the speakers at the rally also demanded the interim government to declare January 7, the day when Felani was killed, as ‘Simanta Hatya Pratirodh Dibas’ (border killing prevention day).

They also demanded naming of the road on which the Indian High Commission in Dhaka was situated after Felani.

Odhikar president CR Abrar, who chaired the rally held in protest at the continued killing of Bangladeshi nationals by the Border Security Force and torture and enforced disappearances by Indian authorities, said, ‘Our previous government bowed down to India and did not raise voice protesting against the border killings. We have failed to ensure justice for border killings.’

He said that the flag meetings between the Border Guard Bangladesh and Indian Border Security Forces were fruitless as they had turned to discussions about ‘holding picnics’, where border killings remained an absent subject.

‘The BSF claimed that they killed Bangladeshi people over security concerns. Of the 588 border killings in the past 15 years, we have not found a single person carrying firearms,’ CR Abrar said.

From January 2009 to November 2024, the BSF allegedly killed 588 Bangladeshis and injured 773 Bangladeshis, according to rights body Odhikar.

Felani, a 15-year-old girl, was shot dead by the BSF in the Anantapur border area under Phulbari upazila in Kurigram on January 7, 2011, when she was returning home crossing barbed wire fences erected by India.

Her body was left hanging from the barbed wire fence for five hours, sparking outrage and protests at home and abroad.

Felani’s father Nur Islam Nuru alleged that the immediate past government had put pressure on them instead of ensuring justice for his daughter’s killing in the past 15 years of its rule.

‘I demand the government put an end to border killing. No children should hang in the barbed wire fence in the coming days as my daughter did,’ said Nur Islam.

Felani’s mother Jahanara Begum said that her daughter was hung from the barbed wire fence alive for three hours and none came to save her.

‘I demand justice for my daughter’s killing,’ said the mother.

Jatiya Gonofront chief coordinator A Tipu Biswas said that the interim government should remove the collaborators of Sheikh Hasina and India as well from the administration to ensure justice for the border killings.

Speakers also blamed the absence of national unity in dealing with the issues of border killings, trans boundary rivers water sharing and unfair bilateral treaties.

Referring to the killing of a Nepal national along Indian border in 2017, Jatiya Mukti Council general secretary Faizul Hakim Lala said that protests spread across Nepal over the killing that forced the Indian authorities to apologise.

‘We have not seen such unity although several hundred Bangladesh nationals were killed by the BSF,’ he said.

Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zunayed Saki said that the bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh should be based on equality and fairness.

Gono Odhikar Parishad general secretary Rashed Khan, Student Movement Against Discrimination coordinator Tarikul Islam, and Jatiya Nagorik Committee convener Nasiruddin Patwary, among others, addressed the rally.

Meanwhile on the day, Drik opened a three-day solo photography exhibition titled ‘Border that bleeds’ by photographer Parvez Ahmad Rony, observing the death anniversary of Felani.

Organised at the Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park at Gulshan-2 in Dhaka city, the exhibition was inaugurated by housing and public works adviser Adilur Rahman Khan with managing director of Drik Picture Library Shahidul Alam and Felani’s parents, Jahanara Begum and Nur Islam, among others, being present.

The exhibition, which will end on January 9, features 24 black and white photographs of Rony who has been documenting border killings since 2012 at different points of Bangladesh-India border.

‘I hope the photo exhibition will create awareness about the equal bilateral diplomacy between Bangladesh and India. It also focuses on border management to uphold the age-old humanitarian relationship of the area,’ said Parvez Ahmad Rony.

Addressing a discussion organised by the Student Movement Against Discrimination held at the platform’s office in the capital on the day, Daily Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman said that all of the killings did not take place for crossing the border, but many times BSF members shot Bangladesh nationals while they were in the Bangladesh territory.

Referring to the image of Felani’s body hanging from the border fence, Mahmudur Rahman said that the bullet pierced through her body hit the map of Bangladesh.

He further said that people sacrificed their lives in the student-led mass uprising for their country and religion.

Jagannath University students on the day also staged a protest rally on the campus, iterating the demand for justice for Felani’s killing and disclosure of all unfair treaties and agreements with India.​

 

[Saif]

End to border killing must for good relations with India

JUSTICE for the murder of Felani Khatun at the hands of India’s Border Security Force on January 7, 2011, could be a point of departure towards improved border management and relations between Bangladesh and India. But it has not happened. The photograph of Felani hanging from the fence created...

www.newagebd.net

End to border killing must for good relations with India
08 January, 2025, 00:00

JUSTICE for the murder of Felani Khatun at the hands of India’s Border Security Force on January 7, 2011, could be a point of departure towards improved border management and relations between Bangladesh and India. But it has not happened. The photograph of Felani hanging from the fence created a global stir and readily became a symbol of Indian high-handedness in border control. The case rolled into trial, but a general security forces court acquitted the only accused on August 19, 2013. Amidst an uproar, the Indian force decided to revise the trial, but another judicial court upheld the earlier verdict. A writ petition, filed by Felani’s father and a West Bengal-based human rights organisation, with India’s high court has not been heard in years. It, therefore, remains for Dhaka and rights and civil society organisations of Bangladesh and India to mount pressure on Indian authorities to set up an independent, impartial commission of inquiry of the case and other serious rights violations by the Indian guards.

The Indian guards killed at least 30 Bangladeshis in 2024 alone while the force killed 588 and injured 773 Bangladeshis, as Odhikar says, in 2009–2024. Delhi repeatedly promised to end border killing, but the Indian guards continued to use lethal weapons and kill and torture Bangladeshis. What is also problematic is the claim of Indian authorities that their border guards kill ‘criminals’ and ‘smugglers’ on the border. Cross-border smuggling happens on the border and such smuggling involves people from both sides. There are agreements and international laws to be followed in dealing with smugglers. Indian authorities on many occasions pledged to follow international laws, but the Indian guards continue to pursue a shoot-to-kill policy, dishonouring the agreements and memoranda that Bangladesh and India signed. In many instances, Indian guards have tortured and killed Bangladeshis, mostly farmers working on the field well inside the Bangladesh territory. Such high-handedness and disregard for international border control protocol by the Indian border force has remained a prickly issue between the two countries.

An end to border killing and a peaceful border could have been achieved if justice had been ensured in earlier incidents of border killing, including the death of Felani. But India has never held any of the accused to justice. Dhaka should, therefore, push for an immediate implementation of a zero-border killing policy and take up the issue at international forums as it is a violation of international laws. Delhi should also deliver on its promises while Indian rights and civil society organisations should mount pressure on their government to stop border killing.​

 

[Saif]

Tension erupts between BGB, BSF over fence construction at Chouka Border

Tension has erupted between the BGB and BSF, the frontier guards of Bangladesh and India respectively, during the last two days at the Chouka border in Chapainawabganj, centred around the construction of a barbed wire fence. However, the BGB states that the situation is now calm. According to BGB

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Tension erupts between BGB, BSF over fence construction at Chouka Border
UNB
Published :
Jan 07, 2025 22:37
Updated :
Jan 07, 2025 22:37

Tension has erupted between the BGB and BSF, the frontier guards of Bangladesh and India respectively, during the last two days at the Chouka border in Chapainawabganj, centred around the construction of a barbed wire fence. However, the BGB states that the situation is now calm.

According to BGB and local sources, BSF members from the Sabdalpur BSF camp of Gopalganj police station in India's Malda district began constructing a barbed wire fence along the border at border pillars 177/1S, 2S, and 3S on Sunday morning. The BGB members intervened, leading to a flag meeting between both sides in the afternoon, but no solution was reached.

On Monday, when the BSF resumed the fence construction, the BGB again intervened. After this, the BSF halted the construction of the road. This has caused panic among the local population.

Local Union Parishad member Kamal Uddin stated that the BSF was putting up the barbed wire fence along the zero line at around 10am on Monday when the BGB intervened. This has led to heightened tension in the area.

Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria, the commander of the 59th BGB battalion, said, "The BSF had started digging for the barbed wire fence, but after the BGB intervention, they stopped the work. The situation is now calm. Additional BGB members have been deployed at the border."

He assured that there is no reason for the general public to be afraid.​