On the 15th anniversary of Felani killing by India’s Border Security Force (BSF), human rights organisation, Odhikar expressed concern over continued “abuses” against Bangladeshi citizens along the Bangladesh-India border.
The organisation held a discussion and press briefing at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Wednesday commemorating Felani’s death and highlighting ongoing border violence.
Felani Khatun, 15, was shot dead on 7 January 2011 while attempting to cross the barbed-wire fence separating Bangladesh and India.
Her body remained hanging from the fence for several hours, an image that sparked widespread outrage at home and abroad.
According to Odhikar, Felani killing remains unresolved. The accused BSF constable, Amiya Ghosh, was acquitted in internal trials despite strong international condemnation and demands for justice.
At least 625 Bangladeshi nationals have been killed along the Bangladesh-India border over the last 15 years, most of them allegedly by India’s Border Security Force (BSF).
The deaths took place between 2009 and 2025, despite repeated official commitments from both countries to bring border killings down to zero.
Odhikar’s documentation shows that during the same period, 808 Bangladeshis were injured and 549 others were abducted or subjected to torture along the border.
Speakers at the event said many of the victims were unarmed civilians, including teenagers and farmers, raising concerns about the excessive use of force and violations of international human rights law.
One victim shared his experience, saying he was detained in Dum Dum Jail for approximately seven and a half months on a passport-related charge. “After completing my sentence, the BSF pushed me across the border. Inside the jail, I was subjected to inhuman torture. I demand justice for the torture I endured,” he added.
Speakers further alleged that during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, border killings were politically condoned. They added that although more than 17 months have passed since the July uprising, the killing of Bangladeshi citizens along the border has yet to stop.
Odhikar described Felani killing as emblematic of what it termed India’s “aggressive border policy”, pointing to a long-standing pattern of killings, torture, abductions and other human rights violations over the past 15 years.
The organisation called for justice for all victims, including transparent and fair trials of BSF personnel allegedly involved in border abuses.
