For decades, India’s trigger-happy Border Security Force (BSF) has been shooting hundreds of Bangladeshis dead in the name of maintaining law and order along a nearly 4,100km porous land border. While organized gangs from both countries are involved in crimes, many ordinary citizens cross the border casually with both paramilitary forces widely accused of having indulged in bribery, Delhi’s reluctance to bring the deaths to zero—by using non-lethal weapons and prioritizing arrest—and showing friendly gestures towards Dhaka at the diplomatic level is nothing but a mockery of Bangladeshi citizens.

Let’s not consider border killing a political issue. Though it may seem like that, evidence suggests that most of the victims of border killing were cattle smugglers—as identified by local residents, police, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials. Demand for cheap Indian cattle and the extent of illegal trade have not dropped even though the incumbent BJP imposed a tough restriction after coming to power in 2014, triggering beef prices in the Bangladeshi market to double. India made the hasty and harsh decision of boosting its beef exports provoking anti-India sentiment in the process.

Apart from India’s sense of supremacy which stems from the size of its land mass-population-economic strength, Bangladeshis also condemn India for its policies regarding the common rivers, extra advantage in rail and road transits, and benefits in ports and special economic zones.

India carried out border killings very frequently for years until 2011-12 when waves of processions in Dhaka and elsewhere engulfed the country in protest against the brutal death of Felani Khatun, an unarmed teenage girl. The demonstrations and hesitant condemnations by the then government forced India to restrain its BSF jawans posted along the Bangladesh frontier. As damage control, the BSF initiated a special trial — an unprecedented move — only to acquit the self-confessed accused after several months because of “inconclusive and insufficient” evidence against him. Writ petitions filed by Bangladeshi and Indian rights groups challenging the BSF trials and justice for Felani have remained pending in the Indian High Court for years.

Delhi can no longer maintain such double standards with Dhaka. India should present rational justifications for the murder of unarmed Bangladeshis, admit its faults, try the perpetrators responsible for the excessive use of force, and address the issues in accordance with bilateral and international laws.

Delhi needs to keep in mind that the current Bangladesh is different. While Bangladesh maintains strategic relations with multiple developed countries and is poised to achieve envious growth in the next couple of years, becoming a powerful nation in South and Southeast Asia, its neighbours, allies, and trade partners should also start thinking about the incumbent and successive leadership differently. The new Bangladesh and its outspoken people will not comfort its neighbours putting its own interests at stake.

Bangladeshis will not stop until Felani and the other innocent lives lost as a result of the BSF’s ruthlessness receive justice. We will never forget the tragic death of BGB jawan Mohammad Roisuddin, 35, on January 22 this year. Who, as it was known later, was brought dead to an Indian hospital. He was shot in the abdomen despite not being a trouble for the BSF members, who also chased the smugglers and took away some of the cows when the criminals were gone.

In response, Bangladesh lodged a strong protest and demanded an investigation. The BSF authorities regretted the killing and reaffirmed with Dhaka that they would work together in the future to prevent such incidents. And our government seemed happy with the communication—though the BSF initiated no formal investigation. Instead, Indian police filed a criminal case against the deceased BGB member.

Bangladeshis were fuming at BSF’s ruthless policy and called for a boycott of Indian products, which apparently hit the sentiment of the ruling BJP government. West Bengal-based rights group Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) analyzed the incident and revealed that the two border forces made contradictory statements. There is no fencing in the area, and the Kotla River is the demarcated border between the countries.

BSF claimed that the deceased was involved in cattle smuggling at the time of the incident, while the BGB said that the Sepoy tried to capture smugglers. However, MASUM’s findings state that when BSF personnel intercepted the smugglers, they fled from the scene, leaving the herd of cattle. Then the BGB personnel from the Dhannyakhola outpost came to the spot and took a few cattle with them, while the rest of the cattle were taken away by the personnel of the Sutia BOP of 107 BSF Battalion. Moreover, the Indian police violated the law by conducting an inquest on January 22 after an autopsy was done the same day.

BSF didn’t also follow the laws when Istafan Khatun tried to enter Bangladesh on July 1. Members of the Natna Camp of Tehatto in Nadia of the 8th BSF Battalion opened fire as she was approaching her brother across the border crossing in the dark of night.

Istanfa, 30, was born in Meherpur but had been living in Bihar since childhood. She was married to an Indian man who died recently, which is why she wanted to return to her village home. For three days before her death, she had been staying at a house in Nabinagar of Tehatto and speaking to her relatives in Meherpur over the phone.

Her relatives say she could not come to Bangladesh even after trying several times in the last one and a half years. When they contacted the BGB to get back Istanfa’s body, the officials couldn’t give them any assurance because her “illegal entry” and the “illegal killing” occurred inside India.

The death of Swarna Das on September 1 just hit the headlines and has lit a veritable fire in Bangladesh. An unarmed teenager, Swarna was fatally shot by BSF personnel when she, her mother, and others were attempting to cross into India near the Lalarchak border area in Kulaura around 9pm. The father, Porendra Das, said Swarna and her mother were heading towards Tripura to visit their eldest son with the help of two local brokers.

Like the mass protests following Felani’s death, the brutal death of Swarna will also grow gradually and put tremendous pressure on the Indian government to review its border policy and behave responsibly. Dhaka’s response gives such a hint: For the first time in many years, Bangladesh has condemned the brutal killing of the girl. The interim government, which was instated last month following an unprecedented uprising, has termed the killing heinous and unwarranted. Mentioning that border killings have been carried out in violation of the provisions of the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities 1975 and that every incident should be investigated.

In November 2012, just before his retirement, then-BSF chief UK Bansal made some observations about the BSF’s shoot-to-kill tendencies instead of prioritizing arrests. He suggested that legalizing cattle trading would solve the unabated killings and torture of Bangladeshis, especially the large number of alleged cattle smugglers, along the border. To defend the BSF’s extrajudicial killings, India has always cited the excuse of being attacked by criminals and retaliation in self defense.

The two countries have a host of other common problems along the border, including cross-border movement of Indian insurgents; the smuggling of arms, gold, and fake currency; illicit drug factories and drug smuggling; and of course, human trafficking. Human rights watchdogs say it’s an open secret that the members of the BGB and the BSF in patrol allow all illegal acts to continue in exchange for bribes.

For the record, it should be noted that 17-30 Bangladeshis have been killed every year since 2020, with the average annual deaths being around 50 in the previous years. In the first six months of this year, at least 13 Bangladeshis were reportedly shot dead by the BSF personnel.

However, BGB has always exhibited restraint and hasn’t been blamed for killing or torturing Indian nationals for illegal entry in the last two decades. Despite setting an example by following the laws, Bangladesh has so far failed to compel India to do the same. Now, the interim government, the BGB, rights groups, civil society members, students, and the mass people should raise their voices in concert and stop the extrajudicial killings, torture, and abduction of Bangladeshis along the border.