Legal Notice to Govt over Border Killings

The government has been served with a legal notice over Bangladeshi nationals’ deaths and persecution, for what India’s Border Security Force (BSF) are responsible for.

Home secretary, foreign affairs secretary, defence secretary and chiefs of the army and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been made respondents to the notice.

Top court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan Mamun cut off the notice on Sunday (Jan 26), telling the respondents to take the necessary steps to maintain the integrity of the Bangladesh Constitute and to protect Bangladeshi nationals in the border region.

The notice reads, BSF shot seven Bangladeshis dead in a week as per media reports on Friday (Jan 24).

The notice cited an analysis of the rights body ‘Adhikar’ saying, “BSF killed 1,144 Bangladeshi nationals between 2000 and 2018.”

According to media reports cited in the notice, except wartime, BSF have nearly zero cases for the killing nationals of India’s other six border-sharing countries. It appears to be that BSH’s prime and only targets are Bangladeshi nationals for this act.

The notice reads, BGB have failed to carry out its duty in the line with BGB Act 2010 to ensure the security of the people in the border area.

Saying foreign affairs ministry diplomatically failed to resolve the issue, the notice says, “The respondents have failed to ensure the citizens’ basic rights of justice in the line with the Constitute.”

High Court will be moved if the recipients don’t take immediate action to stop the border killings.