New Delhi, A report from a Dhaka-based human rights organization, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), has revealed that at least 20 Bangladeshi nationals, including a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) member, have been killed by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) since June 2023. The deaths include incidents of shooting and drowning along the India-Bangladesh border, highlighting a continuing trend of fatal encounters.
According to Kashmir Media Service, ASK’s data shows a significant number of fatalities and injuries among Bangladeshis at the hands of the Indian BSF from July to December 2023, with two additional deaths occurring in January. Notably, on January 22, BGB member Mohammad Roisuddin was shot dead by the BSF along the Benapole border in Jashore, where he was assigned to the 49th Border Guard Battalion.
ASK’s report contrasts with the decline in such incidents in previous years, noting that 30 Bangladeshis were killed by the BSF in 2023 alone, an increase from 23 deaths in 2022, which included 16 shootings. The rights group recorded 42 shooting deaths in 2020 and 16 shootings, with an additional death due to torture, in 2021. Additionally, Odhikar, another Bangladesh-based human rights organization, reported that between 2000 and 2020, at least 1,236 Bangladeshis were killed and 1,145 were injured by the Indian border force.
The frequency of these incidents has raised concerns regarding the violation of international laws. Mizanur Rahman, the former chairman of Bangladesh’s National Human Rights Commission, criticized the border killings as a blatant disregard for international norms, emphasizing their negative impact on the relationship between the people of Bangladesh and India.
The escalation in fatalities underscores the need for heightened attention to border management practices and the protection of human rights in the region.