BSF man acquitted again!

We are shocked that for the second time a Border Security Force (BSF) court has exonerated the BSF jawan accused of killing 15-year-old Felani Khatun at the Indo-Bangla border in January 2011. The verdict was delivered by the same BSF court that acquitted Amiya Ghosh, the only accused in the incident, the first time because of "inconclusive and insufficient evidence." It is beyond our comprehension how an accused can be acquitted when he himself admitted to the shooting in his confessional statement! This judgement, once again, highlights the culture of impunity that perpetuates human rights violations of the BSF at the border.

Bangladesh and, indeed, the world remembers with horror the story of the young girl shot while crossing the barbed-wire fencing at Anantapur border point in Kurigram's Phulbari Upazilla on her way back to Bangladesh. Her body was left hanging upside down from the fence. This year alone, as per rights organisation, Ain O Salish Kendra, 15 people have been killed in BSF firing, eight tortured and 38 others injured. According to Human Rights Watch, BSF has killed almost 1,000 Bangladeshis over 2001-2010, implying a shooting every four days. Hundreds others who live on the border land are harassed and tortured on a daily basis – with impunity.

BSF men, on the rare occasions that they are prosecuted, are tried in their own courts, and remain, as the Felani verdict shows, above justice.  We are deeply disappointed that instead of reassuring us of India's commitment to easing tensions at the border and upholding human rights, this verdict makes a mockery of the rule of law and, indeed, of Felani's death.