BSF-BGB's Blame Game Over Death Of Teenage Girl, Not The First Killing | A Recap Of India-Bangladesh Border Discontent

Adding to the decades-long discontent over the numerous killings of Bangladeshi people at the 4,096-kilometer-long India-Bangladesh border, India's Border Security Force (BSF) was once again accused by Dhaka of killing a teenage Bangladeshi girl on the border on Thursday.

Bangladesh and India share the world's fifth-longest international border spanning across a stretch of 4,096-kilometer. Despite the friendly political and cultural relations between the two neighbouring countries, the border area for decades has been fraught with tension and violence. 

The BSF-BGB blame game

According to Bangladesh’s foreign affairs officials, 13-year-old Shwarna Das, of Juri upazila of Moulvi Bazar district, was 'shot and killed' by the BSF on September 1. They stated that the girl and her mother allegedly tried to cross the border into India through an illegal route with the help of human traffickers.

Refuting the claim, the Indian officials said the girl was allegedly shot dead by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) while trying to enter India illegally. A BSF official aware of the matter said: “Initially, BGB refused to take back the body. They said she is not from Bangladesh and may have been killed by the forces in India. But our probe revealed that she was from Kalaura police station area in Bangladesh.”

'Undesirable, Unwarranted': Bangladesh condemns violation of rules

In a strong reaction condemning the violation of the provisions of the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities of 1975, Bangladesh termed the alleged incident “undesirable and unwarranted.”

Taking cognisance of the matter, the Government of Bangladesh through an official press release reminded that such incidents of border killings are undesirable and unwarranted and such actions are in violation of the provisions of the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, 1975.

Furthermore, they also called upon the Government of India to take appropriate measures to stop the repetition of such heinous acts.

Conflict at the fifth longest border in the world: History

Despite a strong bond between the two countries owing to shared history, culture, and common values, the India-Bangladesh border region continues to paint a story of conflict, tension, and terror. The border area has also been considered a breeding ground for illicit activities such as smuggling, illegal immigration, cross-border terrorism, and human rights violations. 

Cross-border smuggling activities involving the illegal transportation of cows, drugs, arms, and other goods are particularly prevalent at the border region which, in numerous cases, caused the deaths of several innocent individuals who were shot by the security forces manning the border.

According to a human rights organization in Bangladesh, Ain o Salish Kendra, the killing of a total of 332 individuals by the BSF was reported near the Bangladesh-India border between 2013 and 2023, while another rights group, as per media reports, reported that at least 1,236 Bangladeshis were killed and 1,145 injured in shootings by the BSF between 2000 and 2020.

According to Dr. Mohammad Abdur Rab’s book, “Bangladesh: Geography, Geopolitics, and Environment,” a total of 206 Bangladeshi civilians were reported killed by the BSF from 1990 to 1999.

Killing of Felani Khatun and many more

Amongst all the border killings, what has been marked as the most notorious one is the brutal killing of a teenage girl Felani Khatun on January 7, 2011. The girl was shot dead and her body was left hanging on the barbed wire fence that separates the two countries.

As per reports, she was returning to Bangladesh from India's Assam. Her father crossed the fence successfully. Then it was Felani’s turn. When she climbed to the fence with a ladder, she was shot by a BSF soldier. 

On January 22 this year, BSF reportedly killed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) soldier, Mohammad Raisuddin, in Jalapara, Jessore, a southern district bordering West Bengal of India. 

Six days later, on January 28, Rafiul Islam Tiklu, a Bangladeshi citizen was allegedly shot by BSF members in Patgram of Lalmonirhat.

In March 2013, the BSF allegedly abducted six Bangladeshi children from the Parsuram-Belonia border in Feni and were subsequently sent to jail. After four days, they were handed over to the BGB.

India-Bangladesh policy talks

Following Felani’s death, India’s then-home minister, P. Chidambaram, announced a policy shift assuring that the BSF would no longer shoot civilians and would adopt non-lethal weapons.

Resonating with Chidambaram's take, the Bangladesh government suggested the use of rubber bullets and sound grenades instead of live ammunition. Both nations agreed at a high-level meeting to aim for zero border killings.