The development this year looks like retracting from earlier decision for investigation as to why a specific killing on border has taken place, presumably a Bangladeshi national in every case in the hands of BSF to verification whether such killing has at all taken place. We don’t understand what makes the difference between verification and investigation when the core issue is to stop killing. It hears like a joke with the man killed in BSF’s bullet.
BGB Director General Maj. Gen Abul Hossain explained the change in emphasis saying neither BSF nor BGB has investigative agencies. Only police can investigate any incident. But for verification, teams from both sides can visit the spots and make identification and assessment about the killing.
The DG said steps were also taken for border mapping so that they can identify the areas through which smuggling mostly takes place. BSF DG KK Sharma has sought BGB’s cooperation in preventing Bangladeshis from entering Indian territories. Sharma tried to justify such killing saying attack on BSF by criminals increased alarmingly recently but he failed to show any data or case study in support of his claim. He said both the forces agreed to conduct coordinated patrols at vulnerable places to stop cattle and drug smuggling. We must say both sides will do whatever is necessary to do to reduce killing. And when such killing will become zero, neither verification nor investigation will be necessary. But as of now we don’t know why the Indian side is so mindless in killing Bangladesh nationals. Even trespassing border does not justify killing for breaking international law, they can take the man to custody and put in jail.
Human Rights body Odhikar report said from 2000-2016 BSF have killed at least 1084 Bangladeshi nationals as against 16 Indians being killed by BGB during the same period. The number of Bangladeshi nationals is so huge. We are opposed to such killing from either side.
Indian border is highly protected now by barbed wire and even though smuggling is taking place, there are also Indian operatives helping it from Indian side but BSF is not sarcastically pointing gun at them.
Bangladesh shares 4100 km border with India and both sides have security arrangement at the highest level. Bangladesh government has also an excellent relation with India when there is no reason to kill our people on border. Killing must stop immediately in the border.
