BSF kills Bangladeshi at Wahedpur border

A Bangladeshi citizen was shot dead by India’s Border Security Force at the Wahedpur border of Chapainawabganj, a BDR officer said on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Habibur Rahman, 30, a cattle trader.

He is the second Bangladeshi civilian killed by Indian border guards in ten days, despite BSF’s repeated assurances in recent months to exercise “restraint” with regard to border shootings.

Lt Col Zayed Hossain, commander of 39th Rifles Battalion in Chapainawabganj, said Indian border guards fired shots at a number of cattle traders as they were entering Indian territory through the Wahedpur border at Shibganj upazila at around 2am Monday morning.

Habibur’s companions brought his body back into Bangladesh, where it was sent to hospital for autopsy, Hossain said.

Bangladesh Rifles sent a letter to its Indian counterpart in protest at the killing, the officer said.

Earlier this month, on April 2, a Bangladeshi cowherd was shot dead by Indian border guards at Baikari in Shatkhira.

Two days later, Bangladesh Rifles and Border Security Force held a commander level flag meeting during which BSF said it “regretted” the incident and assured the BDR that it would take action against the culprits.

Last month, Indian home secretary GK Pillai, at a joint security conference in New Delhi, said his government was contemplating a unilateral ‘no-firing’ policy along its border with Bangladesh for one year in order to protect innocent civilian lives.

Pillai said that India’s move was intended to address Bangladesh’s concern over deaths of civilians due to firing along the border between the two countries.

Bangladesh’s home minister Sahara Khatun also told parliament last month the government is seriously addressing the killing of innocent Bangladeshis by BSF. She said “diplomatic initiatives” were on to reach a permanent solution.

At least 16 Bangladeshis have been killed by BSF fire in 2010 so far.