Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that 146 Bangladeshis were killed along borders with India by the neighbouring country’s border guard BSF and civilians in the past four years.
In reply to a question in Parliament, he said on Monday that in 2012, BSF killed 24 Bangladesh nationals, while Indian civilians killed another 10.
In 2013, 18 Bangladeshis were killed by BSF and 10 by common citizens.
In 2014, BSF was instrumental in the killing of 24 Bangladesh nationals while common Indian citizens killed another 16.
In 2015, number of BSF-inflicted casualties was 38, while the death at the hands of civilians was one, the minister said.
In the current year until April 18, five Bangladesh nationals had been killed by the BSF, the minister informed the Parliament.
Apart from securing border, the home minister said, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was determined to provide the security to the people living along the border. Yet due to various reasons killings were taking place in the bordering areas, he added.
“To stop killings on the border, as per the high-level decision of the border guards of the two countries, only non-lethal weapons like rubber bullets, sound grenades are being used,” the minister said.
Asaduzzaman told Parliament that at the director general-level meeting between the BGB and the BSF held in India from Aug 2-7 last year, the BSF chief, in response to his Bangladesh counterpart’s call for a definite action plan, agreed to bring down the number of border killing to zero.
“Vigil by BGB has been significantly intensified to curb border crimes like drugs and cow smuggling and trespassing,” he said.
In reply to another question, the minister admitted that coast guards did not have adequate number of vessels and manpower to secure the country’s maritime border in the Bay of Bengal.
But, he said, there was plan to develop the Bangladesh Coast Guard into a self-contained force.
“As part of that plan, nine ships and six boats will be added to its fleet by 2018. This will ensure security of the Bangladeshi fishermen at sea and river.”
In reply to yet another question, the home minister said two museums — Father of the Nation Jail Memorial Museum and Four National Leaders Jail Memorial Museum — would be opened for the people once the Dhaka Central Jail was shifted from the Nazimuddin Road.
Source: Bd news24