Border Situation
Odhikar places 17-pt demand
Activists of human rights organisation Odhikar have urged the government to take steps to put an end to the atrocities by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in different border areas.
At a press conference organised by the district unit of Odhikar at Dinajpur Press Club in the morning, the rights activists expressed their concern over BSF's recent acts of excesses, especially hurling explosives and using sharp weapons.
They urged the government to meet 17-point demand including steps to stop attack by BSF using explosive including grenade and cocktail, identify the smugglers living in the border areas, introduce woman members in Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), get pending post modern reports of the Bangladeshis killed by BSF, realise compensation and rehabilitation fund for the families of victims of torture by BSF from the Indian government and erase the name of Pakistan from the pillars along the border.
They also demanded that the government take initiative to create job opportunities for bordering people and improve their lifestyle, carry out investigation if any unwanted incident occurs in border areas, identify the missing people, stop harassment to torture victims and families of killed people in the border areas and include local representatives at the flag meetings between BSF and BGB.
"If the BSF finds any Bangladesh intruder in their territory, they can arrange their trial, but acts of killing or torture are violation of international law," Kongkon Karmaker, Dinajpur district coordinator of Adhikar, said as he read out the keynote at the press conference.
The BSF killed at least 71 Bangladeshi nationals, mostly cattle traders, along about 400km border area under Dinajpur Sector since 2007, speakers said at the conference.
The right activists urged the government to take a diplomatic step between the two neighbouring countries to resolve the issue of cattle trading through the border areas to reduce violence there.
They also urged the government to take steps to minimise communication gap between bordering people and BGB members.
Criticising BGB for detaining 26 cattle of different people living at Katla border about a month ago despite clearance of local camp commander, the speakers said a memorandum regarding the issue will be submitted to the home minister today through the deputy commissioner of Dinajpur.
Md Moinuddin, who is suffering from infection in different parts of his body following torture by BSF about eight months ago, and Md Mominul Islam, another victim of torture by BSF, and family members of several people killed by BSF were also present at the press conference.
Speakers demanded that the government bear the cost of Moinuddin's treatment.
On March 5 this year, BSF tortured five Bangladeshi nationals at Bhaigarh border under Birampur upazila of Dinajpur. Of them Golap Hossain died at a private hospital in Rangpur while Jalil Hossain was detained by BSF.
Before his death, Golap Hossain told locals that Jalil had died due to torture by BSF.
But two months into the incident, Jalil's family members are yet to know about his condition.
A power point presentation with photographs on 'Lifestyle of Border People' was shown at the press conference.
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