15 years of Felani killing: Police halt NCP's march towards Indian High Commission
Police set up barricades and halted the march when NCP men reached the road in front of the high commission area in Banshtala
Highlights
- Felani killing anniversary sparks NCP protest
- Police set up barricades, halt NCP march towards Indian High Commission
- NCP demands international action against India over alleged interference in Bangladesh's internal affairs
The Dhaka North unit of the National Citizen Party (NCP) held a march towards the Indian High Commission in Dhaka today (7 January), marking the 15th anniversary of the killing of Felani Khatun at the Bangladesh-India border.
Police set up barricades and halted the march when NCP men reached the road in front of the high commission area in Banshtala around 4:20pm, our correspondent reported from the spot.
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During the march, NCP leaders and activists chanted various slogans, including "Delhi or Dhaka, Dhaka, Dhaka," "No to slavery, yes to freedom," "Stop Indian aggression," "Felani, we have not forgotten you," and "Indian hegemony will not be accepted."
Felani, 15, was shot dead by India's Border Security Force (BSF) on 7 January 2011 at the Anantapur border under Kurigram's Phulbari upazila. Her body, left hanging on the barbed-wire fence, sparked outrage at home and abroad.
Addressing the gathering, the speakers said that killings of Bangladeshis by the BSF are still continuing, adding that such incidents are more frequent along the Bangladesh-India border than anywhere else in the world.
NCP leaders also alleged that during the Awami League's rule, India interfered in Bangladesh's politics and economy, leading to violations of people's voting rights and human rights.
They also claimed that killings and enforced disappearances took place as part of a broader conspiracy and demanded international action against India for what they described as overt interference in Bangladesh's internal affairs. They called for bringing all officials involved in enforced disappearances and killings to justice.
They described the upcoming national election as one to protect Bangladesh's sovereignty and vowed not to accept interference from Washington, Moscow, Beijing, or Delhi in the electoral process.
