Felani father, uncle testify in India

In a never-before incident of its kind, the father of Bangladeshi girl Felani Khatun started testifying against the Indian Border Security Force for killing her in an Indian town.

Her uncle will testify later in the same special court which has been set up by the BSF itself.

The special court began recording the testimonies of the two Bangladesh nationals from 11am Monday.

Amiya Ghosh, a constable of Indian Border Security Force, is also being tried in this court after the border guards found him guilty and submitted the charge sheet against him following an investigation into the killing.

On January 7, 2011, the 15-year-old girl was shot dead by a BSF trooper when she along with her father were scaling the barbed wire fence at Anantapur border point in Phulbari upazila, Kurigram, on their way back to Bangladesh.

The killing caused huge outrage in Bangladesh and India and the picture of Felani's motionless body hanging from the fence ran big time in both media for days together.

The Indian court will continue recording the depositions of Felani’s father Nurul Islam and uncle Abdul Hanif till Tuesday.

Nurul Islam, Hanif and those accompanying them from Bangladesh have been taken to the court from circuit house under tight BSF security.

They reached Cooch Behar town through Burimari-Chengrabandha Land Port in Lalmonirhat on Sunday afternoon.

Kurigram Public Prosecutor SM Abraham Lincoln and Commander of 45 Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh Lt Col Ziaul Haque Khaled have been accompanying them.

The prosecutor will assist the witnesses at the court.

Following widespread demands to bring to book the person responsible for her death, the Indian authorities started the trial on August 13.

This is the first time a BSF trooper is being tried for killing Bangladeshis.

Bangladesh has accused the BSF for being trigger happy on the border specially since several BSF troopers were killed by Bangladesh border guards in 2001 on the Boroibari frontier.