The Indian
Foreign Secretary, Ms. Nirupama Rao, is in Bangladesh for a 2 day official
visit for preparing grounds to finalise which issues should be discussed
during the Bangladeshi Prime Minister's upcoming three day visit to
India from December 19, 2009. The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mr. Mohammed
Mirajul Quayes and Indian Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao yesterday
finalised the issues to be discussed. However, the burning issue of
human rights violations in the border areas, the allegations of constant
indiscriminate killing, injury and abduction of Bangladeshi citizens
by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has not been included in the
meeting agenda so far.
(Source: FORUM-ASIA member Odhikar, 15 November 2009)
The Indian
Foreign Secretary, Ms. Nirupama Rao, is in Bangladesh for a 2 day official
visit for preparing grounds to finalise which issues should be discussed
during the Bangladeshi Prime Minister's upcoming three day visit to
India from December 19, 2009. The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mr. Mohammed
Mirajul Quayes and Indian Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao yesterday
finalised the issues to be discussed. However, the burning issue of
human rights violations in the border areas, the allegations of constant
indiscriminate killing, injury and abduction of Bangladeshi citizens
by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has not been included in the
meeting agenda so far. 

Odhikar routinely
monitors reported incidents of killings, injury, abduction and other
human rights violations perpetrated by the Indian Border Security Force
(BSF) on Bangladeshi citizens. According to Odhikar's statistics,
between 1 January 2000 and 15 November 2009 a total of 821 people were
reported killed, 858 injured and 903 abducted by the BSF. BSF carried
out 91 such killings this year till 14 November, 2009. Odhikar feels
that the human rights violations perpetrated by the Indian Border Security
Force on Bangladeshi nationals cannot be justified in any pretext, and
that international laws have been totally ignored.  Furthermore,
many of the civilians who were killed were reportedly poor farmers who
were working in their fields. On 06 November 2009, Monjuara Khatoon,
a 12 year old girl of Kurigram, was gunned down by the BSF of Shahapara
Camp under 162 Battalion, when she went near the Izlamari  frontier
of the Bangladesh side to search for her goat.  

The deliberate
and unjustified killing of civilians of another country constitutes
a crime under international law and Odhikar calls upon the Foreign Secretaries
of Bangladesh and India to include this issue in the agenda in order
to actively take up the issue with the Government of India and put in
place appropriate measures to provide security to civilians residing
in border areas in Bangladesh. It also calls on the Government to adequately
compensate victims of BSF violence and atrocities and/or their families
and demand not only a thorough investigation and exemplary punishment
of the perpetrators, but also proper compensation and reparation from
the Indian Government in this regard.

ASM Nasiruddin Elan
Director
Odhikar