THE killing of a Bangladeshi national a week after the BGB-BSF coordination conference, where the Indian border force reaffirmed that they would bring the number of border killings to zero, is deplorable. In the director general-level coordination conference between the Border Guard Bangladesh and Border Security Force of India held in New Delhi on February 17鈥�20, both forces came to a consensus that they would coordinate among themselves in border management and bring border killing to zero. Violating the pledge, the BSF killed a Bangladeshi youth on February 28 along the Bangladesh-India border at Kasba, Bramanbaria. Similar pledges were, in fact, made earlier by the Indian border guards, only to be violated. In 2024 alone, at least 30 Bangladeshis were shot dead by BSF, while over 1,300 Bangladeshis were killed by Indian guards in 2000鈥�2023. What is also gravely problematic is the claim made by Indian authorities that their border guards kill 鈥榗riminals鈥� and 鈥榮mugglers鈥� on the border. Cross-border smuggling happens on the Bangladesh-India border and such smuggling involves people from both sides of the border, and there are agreements and international laws to be followed in dealing with smugglers and no laws allow any forces to pursue a shoot-to-kill policy.
The Indian border guards have, meanwhile, again attempted to erect fences on the zero line in violation of laws and bilateral agreements. The BSF attempted to erect a barbed wire fence and install iron poles along the Dahagram border in Lalmonirhat on the night of February 28. The construction of the fence was later stopped after a flag meeting with the BGB. Earlier on January 10, the BSF attempted to construct a barbed wire fence on the same border. The Indian border force also attempted to construct barbed wire or iron electric fences along the border in Lalmonirhat, Chapainawabganj, and Naogaon. While laws and agreements stipulate that no permanent structures or fences, except for agricultural activities, can be placed within 150 yards of the border pillars of either country without mutual consent, the BSF has attempted to construct fences in a number of places since the final week of December 2024, creating tensions along the border. All this appears to be a deliberate attempt to create tensions on the border during a transitional period that Bangladesh is undergoing. This also strains the already strained bilateral relations between the two neighbours.
The disregard for international border control protocol by the Indian guards is a major obstacle to fostering good relations between Bangladesh and India. While both countries, especially the border forces, work together to ease border tension, the Indian authorities need to deliver on their pledges and honour the bilateral agreements and laws in border management.