Yet another Bangladeshi killed on border

BSF kills 72 since 1st Jan, 2009

Staff Correspondent

Indian Border Security Force shot dead yet another Bangladeshi cattle trader along Burimari border in Patgram upazila Thursday which is the second killing by BSF in as many days.
With this, total number of Bangladeshis killed by BSF since January 1, 2009 rose to 72 and that since January 1, 2000 to September 10, 2009 to 799. The victim who died on Thursday was identified as Waliur Rahman, 22, son of Hedol Mohammad of Auliarhat village of Patgram upazila.
Local sources said BSF jawans fired shot on Waliur near No. 843 border pillar when he was crossing the border for going to India, leaving him dead on the spot at 6:30 am. The BSF men later took away the body to their land.
Meanwhile, BDR sent a letter to BSF authorities protesting the killing and demanding immediate return of the body.
Earlier, according to UNB, Indian border guards gunned down a Bangladeshi cattle trader along Poladanga border in Sadar upazila early Wednesday. The victim was identified as Manir Hossain, 28, son of Entaj Ali of Kodalkathi village in the upazila.
A report published in 'The Bangladesh Today' on 1st September, 2009, said BSF killed 70 Bangladeshis in last eight months as Ershad Ali 32, a cattle trader who was killed along Putkhali border on 31 August.
According to statistics projected by 'Adhikar', a non-government human rights watchdog, in more than nine years between 1 January 2000 and 10 July 2009 a total of 789 people were reported killed, 846 injured and 895 abducted by the BSF.
With the killing on August 31 the number of Bangladeshis killed since 1 January 2009 stood at 70. Now after the two killings on September 9 and 10 the total rose to 72 and the total deaths from 1 January 2000 to September 10, 2009 stand at 799.
The killings of unarmed Bangladeshis by the BSF on the border are continuing in clear violation of the spirit of good neighborliness as well as international law and despite repeated pledges by the Indian authorities to stop it.