Border killings on the rise

IT is disconcerting to see the rise in the number of deaths of Bangladeshis in BSF firing at the Bangladesh – India border, the most recent of which occurred on Saturday. 

According to a report of Rights Jessore, a local non-government organisation, eighteen Bangladeshis have been killed by Indian BSF along the border between the months of January and February of this year. Also, according to it, the BSF allegedly tortured 17 Bangladeshi nationals and abducted 37 others during that time. And the unfortunate victims were mostly cattle traders. The BSF has apologized for the recent killings but that is little comfort to the relative of the victims.

We also note with concern the recent comment of the Indian Home Minister which virtually abnegates the "no non-lethal weapons strategy" for the BSF to man the India-Bangladesh border. This has been the accord between the two border security forces since March 2011 agreeing not to use lethal weapons along the more than 4000-km Indo-Bangladesh. We saw a considerable reduction in the number of killings following the understanding. 

While one does not take away the right of any security force to fire in self-defense we have no evidence to suggest that the victims had posed threat to the BSF. None of the killed had any weapons on them that could threaten the lives of the well protected BSF personnel. 

We repeat what we have said before regarding the management of the Bangladesh-India border. It needs a humanitarian and sensitive approach. Given the spate of killings it seems to be missing on the Indian side.