Indian border guards have shot dead 11 Bangladeshis in six weeks, says the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
The BGB came up with the figure at a media call on Wednesday (Feb 5), two days after Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said that border killings have increased and made it clear that it was unacceptable to Dhaka.
“As many as 11 Bangladeshi nationals have been killed at the border between Dec 25 and Feb 5,” BGB's Director (Planning) Lt Col Syed Ashiqur Rahman told the media at its headquarters in Dhaka.
According to him, border killings sometimes happen five to fifteen kilometres inside the Indian territories.
“The killings can take place when anyone enters into Indian soil. We come to know about it when the bodies are handed over,” he said before claiming that maximum victims were cattle traders, so far.
The BGB protests against the border killings regularly, he claimed before adding, “Protest notes are given to the designated battalion after every such incident.”
According to Rahman, BGB and BSF are exchanging information regarding border killings.
The issue was also discussed during the recent meeting of the chiefs of the Indian and Bangladeshi border forces, while diplomatic moves were also initiated, he said.
As per the directives from home and foreign ministry, BGB were holding awareness campaign against border crossing and continuing intelligence operations near the border, said Rahman.
Manpower was increased at the sensitive points of the border, he added.
“We are monitoring the movements of listed smugglers. They are getting caught in the act and we report the arrests to media,” he said.
On the outbreak of coronavirus across the world, including India, Rahman assured of the force’s immediate cooperation with any agency to ensure preventive measures at the borders.