Deaths along the Bangladesh–India border
Deaths along the Bangladesh-India border occur several times a year due to illegal entry of people from Bangladesh into India, cross-border firing, and cattle smuggling along the 4,096 km (2,546 mi) long international border between the two countries. The Indian Border Guard's shoot-on-sight policy to prevent cross-border smuggling and illegal immigration from Bangladesh remains in place, allowing them to shoot Bangladeshi nationals with or without reason. Many of the casualties are cattle traders and farmers in the borderlands.
Numerous individuals cross the border for various reasons such as visiting family members, purchasing goods in bazaars, finding employment, farming, or fishing in the river near the border. However, some individuals also engage in various cross-border crimes. To combat illegal activities, border forces have been mandated to address issues such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, and the transportation of counterfeit currency and explosives.
Murder[edit | edit source]
Indian border guards have been accused of killing approximately 1,500 Bangladeshis and civilians since 2000. Adhikar, a Bangladeshi NGO, documented the killing of at least 17 Bangladeshis and various instances of torture by Indian border forces from January to June 2011. According to Masum, a Kolkata-based NGO that uncovers information on the border area, the BSF continues to aggressively intimidate, brutally beat, and torture suspects in the Bangladesh-India border area despite a decrease in firing rates.
In July 2011, Human Rights Watch urged the Indian government to conduct a swift, clear, and transparent criminal investigation into fresh allegations of killings, torture, and other abuses by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Bangladesh border. The organization's South Asia director, Meenakshi Ganguly, expressed concern over the excessive use of force and indiscriminate beatings at the border, questioning India's commitment to the rule of law.
Human Rights Watch's Asia division executive director, Brad Adams, also commented on the border killings, citing a report that revealed about 1000 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) from 2001 to 2010. The report also highlighted the regular threats and torture of local Bangladeshi civilians by Indian paramilitary forces along the border, with alleged lack of assistance from Bangladeshi border guards. Additionally, Adhikar, a human rights organization based in Bangladesh, alleged that the BSF has been involved in looting in border areas.
Bad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said of the border killings, "Routinely shooting poor, unarmed villagers is not how the world's largest democracy should behave."
Bangladeshi casualties[edit | edit source]
From 2001 to 2010, Human rights organisations state that around 1,000 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the Border Security Force (BSF). From 2012 to 2016, around 146 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by BSF and Indian civilians, according to Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi newspaper, reports that from 2010 to 2016, on average, 40 Bangladeshi nationals were killed at the border every year.
| Year | Killed | Injured | Abducted | Missing | Rape | Snatching | Push in | Other | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15 | 15 | ||||||||
| 1973 | 20 | 20 | ||||||||
| 1974 | 23 | 23 | ||||||||
| 1975 | 11 | 11 | ||||||||
| 1976 | 16 | 16 | ||||||||
| 1977 | 27 | 27 | ||||||||
| 1978 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||
| 1979 | 22 | 22 | ||||||||
| 1980 | 18 | 18 | ||||||||
| 1981 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||
| 1982 | 19 | 19 | ||||||||
| 1983 | 16 | 16 | ||||||||
| 1984 | 23 | 23 | ||||||||
| 1985 | 27 | 27 | ||||||||
| 1986 | 30 | 30 | ||||||||
| 1987 | 17 | 17 | ||||||||
| 1988 | 13 | 13 | ||||||||
| 1989 | 17 | 17 | ||||||||
| 1990 | 18 | 18 | ||||||||
| 1991 | 15 | 15 | ||||||||
| 1992 | 16 | 16 | ||||||||
| 1993 | 23 | 23 | ||||||||
| 1994 | 39 | 39 | ||||||||
| 1995 | 36 | 36 | ||||||||
| 1996 | 31 | 31 | ||||||||
| 1997 | 33 | 33 | ||||||||
| 1998 | 37 | 37 | ||||||||
| 1999 | 38 | 38 | ||||||||
| 2000 | 31 | 17 | 106 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 169 | |
| 2001 | 84 | 29 | 55 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 179 | |
| 2002 | 94 | 42 | 118 | 30 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 296 | |
| 2003 | 27 | 41 | 120 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 205 | |
| 2004 | 72 | 30 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 180 | |
| 2005 | 88 | 53 | 78 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 240 | |
| 2006 | 155 | 121 | 160 | 32 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 479 | |
| 2007 | 118 | 82 | 92 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 198 | 0 | 507 | |
| 2008 | 61 | 46 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 211 | |
| 2009 | 98 | 77 | 25 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 90 | 3 | 308 | |
| 2010 | 74 | 72 | 43 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 197 | |
| 2011 | 31 | 62 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 125 | |
| 2012 | 38 | 100 | 74 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 238 | |
| 2013 | 29 | 79 | 127 | 0 | 1 | 77 | 41 | 0 | 354 | |
| 2014 | 35 | 68 | 99 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 209 | |
| 2015 | 44 | 60 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 132 | |
| 2016 | 29 | 36 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87 | |
| 2017 | 25 | 39 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 24 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | |
| 2019 | 41 | 40 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115 | |
| 2020 | 51 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 86 | |
| 2021 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 31 | |
| 2022 | 18 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | |
| Grand Total | 1895 | 1178 | 1408 | 111 | 16 | 157 | 354 | 35 | 5154 |