BGB, BSF jointly to probe border killings
Chiefs of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India's Border Security Force (BSF) agreed at a five-day conference's end in Dhaka yesterday to jointly investigate border killings, viewing that one major cause for its recurrence was illegal cattle trade.
“Our people will go, BSF side will also come,” BGB Director General (DG) Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed told a joint press briefing at the force's headquarters, adding that this would reveal how events unfolded.
“We are trying hard to bring down border killings to zero,” he added. Apart from this, other agendas of the conference included reducing trespassing and smuggling of narcotics, firearms and explosives.
On Saturday's killing of an 18-year-old in BSF firing at the Chuadanga border, the BGB chief said India has “taken a move”, referring to the suspension of seven BSF personnel, adding that further action against the accused would help curb border killings.
Shihab Uddin Sajal was of Goalpara of Jibannagar upazila. Three others were injured. “It is not acceptable this kind of incident. If one takes place then how do we see it? Whether we address it in the right perspective or try to bypass it,” he said.
Maj Gen Aziz said journalists would be invited to view activities of each other's border forces.
The talks focused on moving forward to foster cooperation, said his counterpart, KK Sharma, adding that 447 illegal cattle traders were apprehended by BSF since last year's DG-level talks.
Replying to a query, the BGB chief said he came to know during informal talks that the Felani killing case has been moved to the Indian Supreme Court. He declined commenting further, saying it was a subjudice matter.
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