BSF killed 18 Bangladeshis in 3 months

Eighteen Bangladeshis were killed by Indian Border Security Force members along border between the two countries in the last three months this year, said a report of Rights Jessore yesterday.

Besides, the BSF allegedly tortured 17 Bangladeshi nationals and abducted 37 others during that time, it added.

The border force, however, released most of the abductees later when the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) intervened in the matter, the report said.

The most incidents of killing, torture and abduction by the BSF took place on the frontiers of Jessore, Sathkhira, Thakurgaon, Kurigram, Jhenidah, Meherpur, Chapainawabganj and Lalmonirhat districts, said the rights body report, signed by Binoy Krishna Mallick, executive director of the organisation.

Rights Jessore, a non-government organisation in Jessore that works against human trafficking, prepared the report based on the national and regional newspapers' reports between January and March.

The report also added that at least 220 Bangladeshis had been trafficked to India, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries on the promises of marriages and lucrative jobs there.

Of them, 152 victims are men, 37 women and 31 children from Jessore, Rajshahi, Satkhira, Narail, Faridpur, Narsingdi, Dinajpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Pirojpur, Barisal, Barguna and Tangail.

The report mentioned that only 20 cases had been filed in connections with these incidents.