About killings in border India must give Bangladesh due importance

THE relation between Bangladesh and India at government level is at its peak and warmest now in recent years. Yet border killing of unarmed Bangladeshis by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) did not stop to show that the people to people relation is equally marred with blood of unarmed people living in the border belt. It is quite unacceptable and sad how the government-to-government relation can ignore safety of the local people and yet it can claim to be the best relations at work. We are always unable why Indian BSF kills Bangladesh nationals on the border even if they may be indulging in cattle trade or such other trade. Illegal trade does not justify killing and particularly when Indian nationals are equally engaged in it on their side. It is a simple case of trespassing in which persons can be detained and put to imprisonment. Why Indian soldiers kill our people just on sight is not understood here and all over the world.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith has duly raised the issue at a dialogue on India-Bangladesh relations in the city on Saturday where he has proposed effective joint patrol of the border by security forces of both the countries to avoid unnecessary killing. He said that China and Pakistan get due importance in India as neighbouring countries; but unfortunately it is not so in the case of Bangladesh. Even the discussions occur in various part of the world on socio-economic gains of Bangladesh but it is avoided in Indian capital. His remarks reflect frustration amidst warmest of our relations. Other participants from India and Bangladesh shared Muhith’s view on the sensitive issue. Many wonder why the trigger-happy BSF is not changing its attitudes despite promises from the Indian leadership to end the spate of killing. We must say again it does not show the best kind of relationship between the two counties.

 We believe it is time India should be practical and accept the reality if we want to make relationship between the two neighbours really warming. Only between May and the middle of September 14 unarmed Bangladeshi nationals were killed by Indian BSF in the border and it is just inhuman. Not only during this period there is not a single case of killing of unarmed Indian by Border Guard Bangladesh in past few years. We must say Bangladesh is lending all support to India on cross border filtering of Indian insurgents to make India’s northeast safe. We have also given connectivity to India to win the heart of our big neighbour.

But border killing remains the source of widespread irritant in our relations creating wrong impression about India among our people. We believe it is in India’s interest to make its record straight.