Conduct enquiries into all border killings: Dhaka to New Delhi

Dhaka has asked New Delhi to conduct enquiries into all border killings, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

The call was made through a formal protest note sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.

The note mainly protested the killing of a 13-year-old Bangladeshi girl, Shwarna Das of Juri upazila of Moulvibazar, who was shot and killed by Border Security Force (BSF) of India on September 1.

"The government of Bangladesh called upon the government of India to stop repetition of such heinous acts and conduct enquiries into all border killings, identify the responsible persons and bring them to justice," said the note.

According to human rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), 31 Bangladeshis were killed by BSF along the border in 2023, of whom 28 were shot dead.

The number of Bangladeshi citizens killed by BSF in 2021 and 2022 were 18 and 23, respectively, and at least 522 Bangladeshis were killed between 2009 and 2020, it said.

"Bangladesh strongly protested and condemned such ruthless acts and expressed deep concern over the incidents," according to a statement by the foreign ministry.

The government of Bangladesh reminded the Indian government that such incidents of border killing are undesirable and unwarranted and such actions are in violation of the provisions of the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, 1975.