The Border Guard Bangladesh in the director general-level meeting with the Indian Border Security Force in New Delhi on Monday demanded quick implementation of a decision made in the previous meeting for a joint investigation into each incident of border killing.
The border guard delegation also vented anger at the continued killing of Bangladeshis in the border although BSF time and again agreed to bring down the border killing to zero.
Rights groups said that the border killings by BSF continued despite repeated assurance of stoppage.
At least 22 Bangladeshi civilians were shot dead by BSF since the middle of May while four other Bangladeshis were also killed by the Indian civilians, according to the border guard and media reports.
In a BGB-BSF top-level meeting in Dhaka on December 29, 2014, the then BSF director general Devendra Kumar Pathak had once again ‘promised’ that the border guards of the two neighbours jointly would try to put an end to the border killing.
According to rights organisation Odhikar, BSF killed at least 23 Bangladeshis, injured 35 and abducted 17 in the border in six months till June 2015.
From June 2015 to May 2016, no BGB-BSF top-level meeting was held while 35 other Bangladeshis were killed by BSF in the period.
According to the home ministry, 109 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by BSF in the border between January 2012 and April 2016.
BSF claims that they shoot Bangladeshi ‘criminals’ who attack them while the border guards continue with asking for joint investigations into the incidents to determine the fact.
The border guard has already suggested a prescribed form for the joint investigation which is yet to be approved by the Indian home ministry, the officials said.
‘A joint investigation could determine if anyone had resorted to excessive force in the particular incident,’ said border guard director (operation east) Lieutenant Colonel Tawhidul Islam.
Border guard officials said that the decision to jointly investigate each of the incidents of border killings was made at the 42nd director general-level talks in Dhaka on May 16 after school student Shehab Uddin of Goalpara at Jibannagar in Chuadanga was shot at point-blank range on May 14 when the BSF chief and its delegation were visiting Bangladesh for the six-day talks.
Not a single killing on the India-Bangladesh border has yet been investigated jointly, the officials said.
Home ministry officials in Dhaka also said the border guard delegation also asked
why the Indian authorities were not taking measure to stop cattle smuggling
into Bangladesh so that border killing could be stopped.
The border guard officials said that they also discussed more joint training and collaboration to fight against trans-boundary crime.
The 43rd director general-level meeting between the two border forcers began on Monday and would conclude today.
Border guard director general Major General
Aziz Ahmed is leading a 22-member Bangladesh delegation.
A joint record of declaration of the 43rd director general-level talks would be signed on today. Bangladesh shares 4,053 kilometres of border with India.
The border guard delegation also vented anger at the continued killing of Bangladeshis in the border although BSF time and again agreed to bring down the border killing to zero.
Rights groups said that the border killings by BSF continued despite repeated assurance of stoppage.
At least 22 Bangladeshi civilians were shot dead by BSF since the middle of May while four other Bangladeshis were also killed by the Indian civilians, according to the border guard and media reports.
In a BGB-BSF top-level meeting in Dhaka on December 29, 2014, the then BSF director general Devendra Kumar Pathak had once again ‘promised’ that the border guards of the two neighbours jointly would try to put an end to the border killing.
According to rights organisation Odhikar, BSF killed at least 23 Bangladeshis, injured 35 and abducted 17 in the border in six months till June 2015.
From June 2015 to May 2016, no BGB-BSF top-level meeting was held while 35 other Bangladeshis were killed by BSF in the period.
According to the home ministry, 109 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by BSF in the border between January 2012 and April 2016.
BSF claims that they shoot Bangladeshi ‘criminals’ who attack them while the border guards continue with asking for joint investigations into the incidents to determine the fact.
The border guard has already suggested a prescribed form for the joint investigation which is yet to be approved by the Indian home ministry, the officials said.
‘A joint investigation could determine if anyone had resorted to excessive force in the particular incident,’ said border guard director (operation east) Lieutenant Colonel Tawhidul Islam.
Border guard officials said that the decision to jointly investigate each of the incidents of border killings was made at the 42nd director general-level talks in Dhaka on May 16 after school student Shehab Uddin of Goalpara at Jibannagar in Chuadanga was shot at point-blank range on May 14 when the BSF chief and its delegation were visiting Bangladesh for the six-day talks.
Not a single killing on the India-Bangladesh border has yet been investigated jointly, the officials said.
Home ministry officials in Dhaka also said the border guard delegation also asked
why the Indian authorities were not taking measure to stop cattle smuggling
into Bangladesh so that border killing could be stopped.
The border guard officials said that they also discussed more joint training and collaboration to fight against trans-boundary crime.
The 43rd director general-level meeting between the two border forcers began on Monday and would conclude today.
Border guard director general Major General
Aziz Ahmed is leading a 22-member Bangladesh delegation.
A joint record of declaration of the 43rd director general-level talks would be signed on today. Bangladesh shares 4,053 kilometres of border with India.
source; New Age
