Not border killings but unfortunate deaths: BSF DG

Terming the border killings "unfortunate deaths", Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Rajni Kant Mishra today said such incidents have increased this year.

"The word you said 'killings', I can say unfortunate deaths of individuals…I agree this year the unfortunate death rate is slightly higher," he said replying to a query after a DG-level border conference at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters in the city.

A 19-member host team led by BGB DG Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam participated in the conference attended by a 10-member Indian delegation led by the BSF DG.

Seven people were killed last year of which six were Indians and only one was Bangladeshi, the BSF DG claimed.

But his figure contradicts with the statistics of Bangladeshi rights body Ain o Salish Kendra which said at least 15 Bangladeshi people were killed in the border last year. And in the last five months alone, the number is being estimated at 15.

The BSF DG said they use non-lethal weapon in the borders and use firearms in the rarest situations to protect themselves, not to target anyone.  

"We have trained our forces to maintain maximum restraint. But sometimes the situation turns so ugly that our men are attacked with stones, sticks and sharp weapons," the BSF DG said.

On the border killing issue, the Border Guard Bangladesh DG Shafeenul said "we have of course raised our concern of the increased number of deaths in the borders than the last year."

He said the number of deaths this year is eight and both forces have come to an agreement to ensure the number is kept at where it is now.

Replying to a query on the source of yaba smuggling into Bangladesh through India, the BSF DG said none of the two countries are the source of the contraband items.  

"We are working to check illegal pumping of yaba tablets through India," he said.

In the conference, both sides agreed to undertake joint efforts to bring down the bordering killing incident to zero, to take steps for prevention of human trafficking and illegal crossing, prevention of illegal arms ammunition and explosives drug and gold through increasing coordinated patrols in the vulnerable bordering areas, according to a joint statement.  

Both sides exchanged a list of criminals and smugglers operating in the bordering area and sought assistance to address the issues, the joint statement added.