DOZENS of conferences, talks between directors general of border forces of India and Bangladesh and bilateral pledges appear to have yielded no result in ending killing of Bangladeshis by India鈥檚 Border Security Force along the border. The issue has always been one of the top priorities at discussions by Dhaka. The Indian guards and the political leaders have on many occasions promised to end border killing, but the Border Security Force has continued to use lethal weapons and kill and torture Bangladeshis. In the latest incident, the Indian guards shot dead a Border Guard Bangladesh soldier on January 22 along the Benapole border in Jashore while at least 20 Bangladeshis were killed by the Indian guards in seven months. In 2023, 30 Bangladeshis were, according to Ain o Salish Kendra, killed by the Indian guards. In such a situation, the 54th director-general talks between the Bangladesh and Indian forces began on March 5 in Dhaka. Presumably, Dhaka would once again request that the Indians to follow the zero-border killing policy and the Indians would presumably once again dish out the rhetoric that it would follow the policy.
It is not that the Indian guards have killed 鈥榗riminals鈥� engaged in crimes on the border. In many instances, Indian guards are reported to have tortured and killed Bangladeshis, mostly farmers working on fields, well inside the Bangladesh territory. Examples of such intrusion, which is a gross violation of the international laws and the many agreements between the two neighbouring countries, abound. Besides, the Indian guards have continued to show a trigger-happy attitude in dealing with cattle smugglers or petty criminals. It is understood that cross-border smuggling involves people from both sides of the border and although there are agreements that such people will be dealt with in accordance with the laws and lethal weapons will not be used, the Indian guards continue to pursue a shoot-to-kill policy, dishonouring the agreements and memorandums. While the political leaders of the two countries never fail to glorify the friendly bilateral relations, India鈥檚 border violence, which has reached such a proportion that many international media and rights organisations have termed the Bangladesh-India border as the 鈥榙eadliest鈥�, has negatively affected people-to-people relations. At least 1,236 Bangladeshis were killed and 1,145 injured in Indian guard fire between 2000 and 2020, as rights organisation Odhikar says.
An end to border killing and a peaceful border could have been achieved if justice had been ensured in earlier incidents of border killing. But sadly, India has never brought any of those accused of being high-handed to justice. Dhaka must, therefore, push for an immediate implementation of a zero-border killing policy and demand investigation of all incidents of torture and killings. Dhaka must also take up the border killing issue at international forums as it is a violation of the international laws. Indian authorities must deliver on their promises and ensure that their border force abides by the laws and border protocols.