Felani’s father, uncle return from India

A Bangladeshi delegation comprising Felani Khatun’s father and uncle has returned home after testifying against an Indian trooper for killing the 15-year old girl along the Indo-Bangla border.

Felani’s father Nurul Islam and maternal uncle Abdul Hanif deposed on Monday at a special tribunal set up by the Border Security Force (BSF) at Cooch Behar.

BSF constable Amiya Ghosh is being tried in this court after he was found guilty following an investigation into the killing of Felani on January 7, 2011.

She was shot dead while scaling the barbed wire fence at Anantapur border point in Kurigram’s Phulbari Upazila on their way back to Bangladesh.

The killing caused huge media outcry in Bangladesh and India. The picture of Felani's motionless body hanging from the fence was widely published both in Bangladesh and India.

The delegation started their journey from Cooch Behar on Tuesday at 11 am under a special security escort.

Around 1pm, it reached Burimari-Chengrabandha land port in Lalmonirhat. BGB escorted Felani’s father and uncle home.

Other members of the delegation included Kurigram Public Prosecutor SM Abraham Lincoln and Commander of 45 Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh Lt Col Ziaul Haque Khaled.

Lincoln said both Felani’s father and uncle were supposed to depose on Tuesday but the court said no more Bangladeshi testimony was required.

The trial process started on Aug 13 amid widespread demands to bring to book the person responsible for the teenager’s death.

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.