INDIA鈥橲 Border Security Force has once again promised to stop killing Bangladeshis by employing additional precautionary measures whilst Border Guard Bangladesh has renewed its call for an end to such violence in the frontiers. Dhaka has also discussed the Indian guards鈥� push-in of people into Bangladesh and erection of structures close to the zero line in breach of protocols employed to manage 4,156 kilometres of borders that span between Bangladesh and India aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation for lasting peace. But the promises that New Delhi has made at a four-day conference between the directors general of border forces of Bangladesh and India, held in Dhaka that ended on August 28, could very well be construed as rhetoric as Delhi has made similar promises meeting after meeting but violence by Indian guards against Bangladeshis in the border has continued. Indian guards have, moreover, started playing border ploys such as the erection of structures such as barbed-wire or electric fences on the no man鈥檚 land, especially in the final days of December 2024, and the push-in of people into Bangladesh, especially since May 2025.
Whilst many of India鈥檚 attempts at fence erection have been foiled, India has pushed in 2,112 people, who included Rohingyas and at least 50 of whom are registered with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in India and Indians, since May 7. And, the murder of Bangladeshis at the hands of India鈥檚 border guards has continued apace for years. Indian guards have killed 22 Bangladeshis in the first seven months of this year. Rights group Ain O Salish Kendra reports at least 30 Bangladeshis to have been killed by the Indian guards in 2024 and at least 31 in 2023. Delhi has over and again said that its guards would show restraint and use non-lethal weapons, but the use of lethal weapons has been evident in the death of the Bangladeshis in the border. The Indians say that they use firearms only as the last resort after warning and deterrent acts only when there is an imminent threat to lives of the Indian guards. The Bangladesh side has condemned the border killing, noting that the Indians have killed even minors, who can in no way entail a threat of life to armed border guards of India, in daylight. Both the sides at the conference have pledged to stop using non-lethal weapons and step up night-time vigil in vulnerable areas to stop shooting.
The two sides have also agreed to run joint awareness campaigns, promote socio-economic development projects and work together to manage the border. New Delhi is expected to keep its word on not using lethal weapons in the frontiers and stop the train of death of Bangladeshis that has so far continued apace.
