BSF kills 37 on southwestern borders in 9 months
70 abducted, 45 of them in Indian jails
At least 37 Bangladeshis were killed and over 150 others injured by Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) on different borders in southwestern region in last nine months.
BSF also allegedly abducted at least 70 Bangladeshis during the period from January 1 to October 7.
Of the abducted, about 45 are still in different Indian jails as BSF did not hand over them to Bangladesh Rifles (BDR. The rest were released after flag meetings between BDR and BSF.
Last year, 74 Bangladeshis were killed and at least 60 abducted by BSF on the same borders.
In last nine months, at least 50 incidents of exchange of fire between BDR and BSF took place on southwestern borders.
According to information available from BDR, police and newspaper reports, seven Bangladeshis were killed in January this year, one in February, five in March, three in April, four in May, six in June, three each in July and August and four in September and one in last six days of October.
Twelve of the victims were cattle traders.
Satkhira border is the most troubled spot where at least 16 Bangladeshis were killed by BSF. Ten of them were cattle traders.
In the latest such incident in Satkhira, Bangladeshi cattle trader Khalid Hossain was shot dead by BSF at Kakdanga border point in Kalaroa upazila on Saturday (October 7).
BDR said the Indian border guards opened fire on Khaild when he along with the cattle he purchased in India was returning to Bangladesh at about 4:00 am.
"It was an unprovoked shooting by BSF," a high official of BDR told this correspondent yesterday seeking anonymity.
Incidents of killings and abduction continued while BSF signed an accord with BDR not to shoot Bangladeshis and agreed to resole 'major disputes through discussion.'
A day-long sector commander level meeting between the two border guards wax held at the rest house of 32 Rifles Battalion at Mirpur in Kushtia on July 4.
BDR Sector Commander in Kushtia Lt. Col. NM Noor Islam led the 13-member Bangladesh team while BSF commander in Krishnanagar C Marandi led the 20-member Indian team.
According to Lt. Col. NM Noor Islam, two sides discussed different issues including killing of Bangladeshi nationals by BSF, smuggling of explosives, firearms and drugs from India, sheltering miscreants and other cross-border crimes.
"We urged our counterparts to show tolerance on different issues, particularly where civilians are involved," Col. Noor told the Daily Star over phone yesterday.
BSF agreed on the issue and an accord was also signed, he said.
"But BSF continued killing Bangladeshis," Lt. Col. NM Noor Islam said.
This correspondent visited different border areas in Kushtia and Meherpur several days ago and talked to local people.
They said BSF has created a panic on the border. Even farmers are afraid of cultivating their lands close to borders, they said. "BSF picked up my son Basir when he was working on our field on March 22. Indian authority returned him back after three months”, farmer Paran Ali of bordering Rmkrishnapur village in Daulatpur said.
"Smugglers on both sides of the border are active at different border points. This is also responsible for BSF firing," a BOP (Border Observation Post) commander at Thotarpara border point in Bangladesh said.
Cross-border movement of smugglers proves not only BSF but also BDR to fire, he said.
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