Border Guard Bangladesh Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed yesterday said the BGB had no official information on Felani killing case and the Border Security Force of India did not inform it about the progress of the case.
“We do not have any official information on Felani killings case,” he said this at a press conference at the BGB headquarters in the capital.
Felani, the 15-year-old girl was shot dead at the BSF Choudhuryhat Camp as she was trying to cross the barbed-wire fence at Anantapur border point in Kurigram’s Phulbarhi upazila in 2011.
“We will seek progress report on the Felani murder case in a DG-level meeting between India and Bangladesh scheduled to be held in April,” said Aziz.
On Jan 7 Felani Khatun was shot dead on her way back to Bangladesh. Her body was left hanging from the fence for quite a while. The killing had provoked huge outrage in both Bangladesh and India.
After that a special court set up by the BSF found its 181 Battalion Constable Amiya Ghosh, accused of killing Felani, “not guilty” of the murder.
In the wake of widespread criticism for the acquittal the BSF decided to revise the murder trial.
The BGB authorities invited journalists at 11am but they took 27 more munities to start the press conference as the director general did not turn up on time.
He, however, apologised for his late at the beginning of his speech.
The BGB chief claimed that border killing had been coming down gradually over the last few years. Only three people have died in bordering areas this year whereas a total of 28 people were killed in 2013, 34 in 2012 and 39 in 2011.
“The mind-set of the BSF, BGB and the people living in the border areas have to be changed in order to bring the border killing to zero level,” he said.
“We are yet to get the desired cooperation from India in this regard.” he said.
About Myanmar and India’s support in curbing smuggling, he said: “There is a huge communication gap with Myanmar and we are trying to get closer.”
Answering a query about BDR mutiny Aziz said: “Discipline is the main factor here and strong law is a must to avoid such incidents. The law has been reformed in this regard.”
Source: UNBConnect
