Stop border killings: BGB tells BSF

Bangladesh on Sunday made it clear that until and unless the border killing touches zero level, it will keep raising the issue strongly with India.

“Until and unless the incidents of border killing come to an end, we will keep raising the issue and it will always be a topic of discussion,” said director general of the Border Guard Bangladesh Major General Aziz Ahmed.

The BGB said this after a four-day border coordination meeting with the Border Security Force (BSF) in New Delhi.

Major General Ahmed said that they are also expecting a fair trial in the Felani killing.

Earlier the BGB had opposed the initial investigation and trial, being made by the BSF, after which BSF initiated a reinvestigation into the Felani incident.

“We can assure an expeditious and fair trial into the Felani issue,” reiterated BSF chief DK Pathak.

A 15-year-old Bangladeshi national, Felani Khatun was shot dead by BSF on January 7, 2011 along the India-Bangladesh border.

Felani’s body was found hanging on a border fence made of barbed wire, which had evoked international reaction.

The chiefs of both the border guarding agencies, however, said that killing along the international border has come down.

“28 people were killed along the border area last year, which was much less than its previous year,” said the BGB chief.

The BGB was represented by a team of 20-members whereas BSF was represented by a 24-member team.

Referring to the Meherpur killing, where a Bangladeshi was killed allegedly by BSF, Pathak said that the Indian force always use the lethal weapon as an extreme step.

“If anybody is involved in trans-border crime, we will resort to firing as an extreme measure,” said BSF Director General.

The four-day-long biannual border coordination conference dwelt over several other vital issues including human trafficking, illegal migration, fake Indian bank notes and arms smuggling.

“Bangladesh could be a transit route, but no illegal arms are manufactured on our soil,” said Ahmed.

“We will also share real time intelligence as far as arms smuggling over the Bay of Bengal is concerned,” said the BGB chief.

Both the chiefs said that any kind of “connivance” with arms smuggler will be dealt with strongly.

Reports suggest that a section of government officials of both countries are hand in glove with the arms smugglers.

The BSF chief said that all the contentious issues between both the countries were successfully and effectively addressed.

On the issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh into India, Maj General Ahmed clarified, “there is no such illegal migration. But there could be illegal crossing from Bangladesh, which we address sincerely.”

The issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh was always a matter of concern for India’s northeastern states.

Influential student organisation of Assam (AASU) on several occasions has raised the issue with India’s Home and Foreign Ministry.

During the course of the conference, the BSF has also handed over to the BGB a list of 71 Indian Insurgent Groups (IIG) camps based on the Bangladesh soil.

Highlighting the importance of coordinated border management plan (CBMP) in curbing the menace of trans-border crime like smuggling of drugs and narcotic substances, fake Indian currency notes, Gold and cattle smuggling, both the border force chiefs have agreed for implementation of CBMP in letter and spirit.

They have also decided for vulnerability mapping every six months and need for exercising more vigil in maintaining sanctity of international border in these vulnerable areas.