Killings by BSF up in southwestern border areas

This figure of killings is higher than any other period in last several years, sources said.

They said BSF also abducted at least 70 Bangladeshis during the period.

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Of them about 40 were still in different jail in India and the rest were released.

According to data available from BDR, police and newspaper reports, BSF killed eight people in earlier eight months from January 1 to August 17 last year.

Killings by BSF in the border areas increased after the August 17 countrywide serial bomb blasts in Bangladesh by Islamist outfits.

After the August 17 incident, BSF was put on high alert and ordered to take any measure to 'resist entrance of Islamist militants into Indian territory", BDR sources said. Some innocent Bangladeshis including traders, particularly cattle traders, became victims as the Indian border guards shot any body they saw near the border, they said.

BSF also reinforced it strength in all border outposts and increased patrol. It did not allow any adult Bangladeshi near the border even during day time. BSF also erected at least 15 kilometers of barbed wire fence along the border in Chuadanga, Kushtia, Meherpur, Jessore, Jhenidah and Satkhira and is using searchlight at night to check cross-border movement.

Of those killed, seven were in Chudanga border, five in Kushtia, two Satkhira, one in each in Jhenidah and Jessore border.

This correspondent talked to high officials of BDR during a recent visit in different border points in Meherpur, Chuadanga and Kushtia.