The Adviser to the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Md. Nahid Islam, has strongly condemned the killing of another Bangladeshi citizen, Anwar Hossain, by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at the Panchagarh border.
On Saturday (December 7), he posted a message on the micro-blogging site X, addressing India.
The translation of Nahid Islam’s post is as follows:
“We strongly condemn the killing of another Bangladeshi citizen, Anwar Hossain, by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at the Panchagarh border.
This is not an isolated incident. Since the independence of Bangladesh, the Indian Border Security Force has repeatedly been accused of killing unarmed Bangladeshi citizens, a clear violation of international conventions regarding the right to life and the principle of fairness in border security.
According to the information from the Law and Arbitration Center (ASK), from 2009 to 2020, the BSF killed 522 Bangladeshis, of which 324 were shot dead, and the rest died due to torture. Human Rights Watch’s 2010 ‘Trigger Happy’ report revealed that between 2006 and 2010, 347 Bangladeshis and 164 Indians were killed by the BSF’s gunfire.
Unfortunately, these killings continue. In 2023, 34 people were killed, 23 in 2022, and 18 in 2021. These deaths are often justified with baseless arguments like preventing smuggling or self-defense, which is a direct violation of the 2018 agreement. This agreement committed both India and Bangladesh to not use lethal force in border management.
This brutal reality raises questions about the claims of friendship between the two countries, especially considering that more than 300 Bangladeshis were killed at the border during the 16-year tenure of the Awami League government, which contradicts the alleged partnership with evidence of hostility.
The Indian government must take urgent steps to ensure that their border security forces comply with international human rights standards. The protection of life, fairness, and respect for humane treatment should be the foundation of all border operations. True friendship can only be built on mutual respect, equality, and harmony.”
It is noted that on Friday morning, Anwar Hossain was shot and killed at the border area between Mominpara of Haribhasha Union in Panchagarh Sadar Upazila and Singpara of India, near the main pillar 751, sub-pillar numbers 8 and 9. Later, the BSF took his body. Anwar Hossain was the son of Rafiqul Islam from the Debnagar area of Tetulia Upazila.
