BGB, BSF agree to bring down border killings to zero

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India's Border Security Force (BSF) have agreed to bring down the border killings of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals to zero by enhancing joint efforts, including patrolling and vigilance.

Both sides reiterated their "zero tolerance" stance on trans-border insurgent groups and agreed to take all necessary steps to prevent their trans-border movements through real-time information.

BGB DG Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui and BSF DG Nitin Agrawal came up with the announcements at a joint press conference, wrapping up a five-day BSF-BGB director general-level conference in Dhaka yesterday.

At the press conference, the BSF director general declined to offer details when asked about the recent killing of BGB member Rais Uddin at the border.

"How he ended up dead, I wouldn't explain that. It has already been reported," he said in response to a question asked by a Bangladeshi journalist.

Nitin Agrawal further said, "You see, border killings do take place in which both Bangladeshi and Indian citizens get killed sometimes despite our efforts not to do so. You see, on the Bangladesh border, we have changed our weapon policy. We have put non-lethal weapons instead of the usual lethal weapons on infantry. This is clearly, purely with the intention of minimising any deaths which may occur due to attacks on BSF personnel."

About Rais Uddin's killing, the BGB director general said that it was not a targeted killing.

"This happened amid the darkness of confusion on both sides. In the future, there will be an all-out effort to avoid any killings in uniform, whether it's BSF or BGB or any civilian Bangladeshi or Indian national--that is the agreement from both sides."

According to Ain o Salish Kendra, a human rights organisation, 332 individuals were reportedly killed by the BSF near the border between 2013 and 2023.

Development work, including river bank protection within 150 yards of the international border on both sides, road connectivity by establishing more ICP, LCP, LCS and increasing numbers of border haats, laying of the optical fibre network to connect Dahagram through the Tin Bigha corridor, contaminated water coming from India through four canals at the Akhaura border, re-opening of the remaining portion of Rahimpur Khal in Sylhet were also discussed at the conference, according to a joint press release.