Trigger–happy BSF

We are shocked and surprised by disquieting reports from Birampur upazila in Dinajpur that members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) shot and killed a Bangladeshi farmer named Nazrul Islam and wounded another peasant Shahedur Rahman on Monday. They had barely planted saplings in a farmland inside the Bangladesh territory when BSF personnel came in albeit with arms. Nazrul, the victim, merely asked the only plausible question to ask in those circumstances, namely, what brought them there? At this, a BSF man fired, purportedly aiming at his chest. And, he died on the spot.

What needs to noted in particular is that Hela Heng Mong, Sector Commander, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after a flag meeting following the occurrence with his BSF counterpart  told press men, “Where the killing took place is within Bangladesh territory”. While we condemn this, we regard it to be in the best interest of the two countries to probe the matter at length and punish the guilty.

The incident simply boggles the mind, and can be treated as a test case for determining how arbitrary, highhanded and lethal BSF men can get despite commitments by their high functionaries to apply 'zero tolerance to border killings.' A non-lethal approach was a necessary part of such assurances, a policy emphasis which obviously does not permeate the functional or ground level.

When so much friendliness is going on at the highest political and official levels between the two countries, it defies comprehension as to why should there be border killings.