Killings across the Bangladesh-India border has been an unfortunate reality for a long time now, this is in spite of the relationship between both countries being stronger than ever -- which is why the need to put an end to this incredibly unsettling phenomenon has never been greater.
On Monday, at least two Bangladeshis were allegedly killed, and another injured, by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Thakurgaon border, with one of the bodies of the deceased being in India at the time of writing. It was only three months ago that a 35-year-old Bangladeshi national was also shot dead, again allegedly by the BSF, along the Behularchar border.
Despite repeated assurances from the Indian side to bring down border deaths to zero, the killing of Bangladeshi nationals along our borders with India has been a recurring problem, one that is fast becoming one of the few major contentious bilateral issues. While India has a right to protect its borders from infiltration, indiscriminate killings erode any and all possibilities of establishing intent.
According to human rights organizations, between the years 2001 and 2010, around 1,000 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the BSF. While the decade after saw fewer border killings, given the healthy relationship India and Bangladesh now enjoy, it is a matter of deep concern that recurrent border killings are still taking place at all.
India needs to uphold its promises and investigate border killings carried out by the BSF, it needs to display the political will to end this practice once and for all as the overwhelming majority of lives claimed in border killings are those of Bangladeshis. Border security does not have to come at the cost of human lives, as a little restraint can go a long way.
On Monday, at least two Bangladeshis were allegedly killed, and another injured, by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Thakurgaon border, with one of the bodies of the deceased being in India at the time of writing. It was only three months ago that a 35-year-old Bangladeshi national was also shot dead, again allegedly by the BSF, along the Behularchar border.
Despite repeated assurances from the Indian side to bring down border deaths to zero, the killing of Bangladeshi nationals along our borders with India has been a recurring problem, one that is fast becoming one of the few major contentious bilateral issues. While India has a right to protect its borders from infiltration, indiscriminate killings erode any and all possibilities of establishing intent.
According to human rights organizations, between the years 2001 and 2010, around 1,000 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the BSF. While the decade after saw fewer border killings, given the healthy relationship India and Bangladesh now enjoy, it is a matter of deep concern that recurrent border killings are still taking place at all.
India needs to uphold its promises and investigate border killings carried out by the BSF, it needs to display the political will to end this practice once and for all as the overwhelming majority of lives claimed in border killings are those of Bangladeshis. Border security does not have to come at the cost of human lives, as a little restraint can go a long way.
