BSF kills 13 on C'nawabganj border last year
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) killed at least 13 Bangladeshis and injured 11 others last year on different borders of the district.
A few people were brutally tortured by them during the period.
Shibganj upazila was the most troubled spot where all major incidents took place. The death figure was eight in 2009 while at least 12 others injured in the same year, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) sources said.
According to BDR officials, last year Monirul Islam of Sahapara and Shyamol Karmakar of Bishroshia were killed in January, Mukul Hossain of Bahalabari was killed in February, Tozammel Haque of Ekbarpur village in March, Habibur Rahman Habu of Kalupur in April, Shafiqul Islam of Shayampur and Robu Mia of Hajarbighi village in June, Mohammad Fatik of Parchouka and Ismail Hossain alias Yousuf of Pialamari village in August, Saidur Rahman of Dakatpara and Mohammad Fatik of Tarapur-Hatapara in September, Abdul Latif of Namojogannathpur village in October and Mohammad Mahbub alias Kalu Mia of Thutapara was killed in December.
All the dead hailed from Shibganj upazila. The incidents occurred at Shingnagar, Wahedpur, Fatepur, Kirongonj, Chouka, Monohorpur, Masudpur and Raghunathpur villages of the upazila. The victims were mostly cattle traders.
The injured include Sohel Mia of Tarapur, Tofazzol Haque of Tarapur, Azizul Islam of Raninagar, Nurul Haque of Hatapara, Shahidul Islam Mohammad Dalim of Namojagannathpur, Selim Uddin of Char Hasanpur, Mohammad Sanaul of Raninagar, Mohammad Sentu of Namojagannathpur, Saddam Hossain of Parchouka and Shahidul Islam of Jaminpur under Shibganj upazila.
BSF picked up Bangladeshi cattle traders from the frontier areas and brutally tortured or killed them, claimed villagers of Monakasha union.
Sometimes they throw the victims into the Padma River after torture. BSF kills cattle traders whereas the illegal drug and arms dealers go unpunished, local people alleged when this correspondent visited the areas on Saturday.
In the latest incident of torture, a youth of Shingnagar village succumbed to injuries early Sunday at Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
Roshnara Khatun, mother of the victim, said BSF men picked up her son Shahjahan Ali, 25, on Saturday morning (15 January this year) from Masudpur frontier and severely tortured him causing his death next day.
Shahriar Shahadat Hossain Khurrum, chairman of Monakasha Union Parishad, said BSF often creates panic on the border. Even farmers are afraid of cultivating their lands close to the border.
BSF routinely gunned down civilians while crossing borders despite negligible evidence of any crime, New York based Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed in a report released on December 9 last year.
HRW found not a single case where the person engaged in any activity deserved such extreme response by the BSF.
The rights group demanded the Indian government prosecute BSF soldiers responsible for serious human rights abuses.
Abu Bakar Abu, commanding officer (CO) of 39 BDR battalion, Chapainawabganj, said shooting has not stopped in the border areas despite assurance from BSF.
We discussed different issues including killings of Bangladeshis by BSF and other cross-border crimes at a meeting at Shingnagar frontier on September 18, last year. BSF had agreed not to kill our people and resolve major disputes through discussion but the incidents of killing and torture have continued, Abu Bakar added.
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