Photo exhibition ‘Border That Bleeds’ commemorates Felani killing

A thought-provoking solo photography exhibition titled 'Border That Bleeds' by Parvez Ahmed Rony was inaugurated today at Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed Park in Gulshan, Dhaka. 

The exhibition coincides with Felani Day, a day of protest against border killings, and is dedicated to the memory of Felani Khatun, a 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl killed by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in 2011.

On 7 January 2011, Felani was shot and killed by BSF personnel at the Anantapur border under Kurigram's Phulbari upazila. 

Her body was left hanging on a barbed wire fence for five hours, sparking outrage. Nearly 14 years later, justice remains elusive in Felani's case.

The tragedy of Felani is part of a larger pattern, with approximately 1,400 Bangladeshi civilians killed by the BSF along the India-Bangladesh border, according to human rights organizations.

Photographer Parvez Ahmed Rony has been documenting the harsh realities of life along the Bangladesh-India border since 2012. The exhibition features 24 selected photographs from his extensive work, captured over a 12-year period from 2012 to 2024. Through these powerful visuals, Rony sheds light on the human cost of border conflicts.

Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and founder of the human rights organization Odhikar, was present at the inaugural ceremony of the exhibition.

Shahidul Alam, eminent photographer and managing director of Drik Picture Library, was also present at the inauguration, alongside Felani's mother Jahanara Begum and father Noor Islam.

The exhibition will be open to the public till 9 January.