BSF kills 10 in ten days on southwestern border

The killings took place when BSF (Indian Border Security Force) and BDR were holding a series of flag meetings and a two-day Indo-Bangladesh Border Conference in the area during the period, BDR sources said.

In each of the nine flag meetings, BDR lodged strong protest but there has not been any let up in BSF firing, this correspondent was told during a visit to Kushtia, Chuadanga and Satkhira border areas on Sunday and the day before.

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"We lodged strong protest at flag meetings and BSF agreed not to open fire but they violated their decision", Col. Shakhawat Hossain, Commanding Officer of 9 BDR Battalion in Mirpur border in Kushtia said.

The last flag meeting was held at Kolaroa Bhomra border point on June 7. On the following day, BSF fired and killed one Bangladeshi Laltu, 32on the same border point.

In five and a half months since January this year, at least 40 Bangladeshis were killed and over 150 injured in the southwestern borders. The figure is higher than that in any period in several years, the sources said.

The latest incident took place on the night of June 9 when BSF from Gede camp in Krishnapur focused searchlight and fired shots at Razapur BDR camp on Nimtola border in Chuadanga. BDR replied with shots and the skirmishes continued for about eight hours from Friday evening till dawn. They exchanged around 4000 shots and mortar shells.

One BangladeshiYusuf, 36 of Iswarchandrapur village adjacent to Razapur BDR campwas killed and many others were injured when they were fleeing homes to escape BSF firing.

"It was an unprovoked firing by BSF", said Lt. Col. Masud-ul-Mahmud, Commanding Officer of 35 BDR battalion in Chuadanga.

Use of search light is illegal as per international border law, but they violate it also, he said.

A two-day Indo-Bangladesh Border Conference was held in Kushtia on June 4-5 to resolve issues including killings of Bangladeshis by BSF, cross-border movement of miscreants, drug smuggling into Bangladesh, reinstallation of demolished or stolen border pillars, survey of disputed lands and raising barbed wires fence by BSF.

Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Jamal A Naser and Nadia Zila Administrator Rajesh Pande led their respective sides.

In the talks, both sides agreed to take "effective measures" to keep borders peaceful and curb movement of criminals and drug smuggling.

BDR and other sources said, after the August 17 serial bomb blasts in Bangladesh, BSF was put on "high alert" and ordered to take "any measures to stop sneaking of Islamist militants into India".

Since then killing by BSF increased and at least 16 Bangladeshis were killed in southwestern border areas from August 17 to December last year against eight in previous six months.

BSF also abducted about 70 Bangladeshis during the period, BDR sources said.

BSF has also reinforced its strength in all border outposts and increased patrol.

"They do not allow any adult Bangladeshi near the border even during the daytime", a BDR personnel told this correspondent during the visit.

BSF erected at least 15 kilometers of barbed wire fence along the border in Chuadanga, Kushtia, Meherpur, Jessore, Jhenidah and Satkhira. They use searchlight at night to check cross-border movement.