Incidents of killing and injuring Bangladeshis along the Bangladesh-India border are on the rise again due to the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) refusing to adopt safe and effective measures, according to a Bangladeshi rights organization.
The Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF), led by Sultana Kamal, which tracks border killings, reported that four Bangladeshi nationals were killed and five others sustained bullet injuries in BSF firing along the border in the outgoing month of March. The MSF’s monthly report indicated that the number of killings remained the same in February.
Additionally, an elderly person was injured in a grenade explosion on the Zero line along the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier in Naikhangchhory upazila, Bandarban district, during the period from March 1 to March 31. Furthermore, one youth was injured in a landmine explosion in the same frontier during this period.
Moreover, a youth injured during firing, reportedly by an armed individual attempting to enter Bangladeshi territory through the Ukhia frontier in Cox’s Bazar district, succumbed to his injuries in March. These incidents have caused panic among the people residing in frontier areas, as stated by the MSF.
The MSF believes that the government’s failure to protest against border killings raises questions among the people. “Such incidents on the frontier are never expected,” the organization added.
In addition to border killings and tensions, the MSF reported that twelve people died in prison custody during March. Of them, 11 were taken to the Medical College Hospital outside the jail, where they were declared dead.
The MSF prepared the report based on information published in various media outlets and also collected information through its own sources. According to the report, individuals posing as law enforcement agencies picked up three people during this period, later showing them as arrested in cases.
Violence against women and children, including rape, gang rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and suicides, showed a slight decline. Around 247 incidents of violence against women and children were reported in the month, 38 fewer than in February. Among these incidents, 38 were rapes, 9 were organized or gang rapes, and one was a murder after rape. Two disabled women were among the victims.
Moreover, at least 40 journalists faced different troubles during this period in fifteen incidents. Among them, 10 students were suspended from Dhaka International University (DIU) for forming a journalism committee on the campus and conducting campus reporting. Additionally, three received threats, eight were assaulted, and 17 journalists were attacked while performing their professional duties in March 2024.
Five incidents of minority torture were reported during the period in March. According to MSF statistics, casualties from mob beatings increased abnormally this month. Nine people were killed, and eight others were critically injured in seven incidents of mob beating in March. Of them, four were handed over to the police.
