'We have made our protest language stronger over border killings': Foreign affairs adviser

Bangladesh made its language of protests "stronger" regarding recent border killings and clearly condemned such actions, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said today (10 September).

"We have made our protests language stronger. It is a very sensitive issue what we are telling every moment. We expect India will take it into cognizance," he told reporters while responding to a question on recent border killings.  

Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Adviser Hossain reiterated Bangladesh's call for stopping border killings and said they need to come out from this in the two countries' interest as it brings no benefit but the relations are impacted very negatively.

"We told them clearly that we condemn this act. This is playing a very negative role in Bangladesh-India relations. I have never heard anyone saying it brings benefit to India," he said.

The government of Bangladesh, earlier, called upon the government of India to stop repetition of such "heinous acts" and conduct enquiries into all border killings, identify the responsible persons and bring them to justice.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh lodged a formal protest to the government of India on the killing of a 13-year-old Bangladeshi girl, Shwarna Das of Juri upazila of Moulvibazar district, who was shot and killed by Border Security Force (BSF) of India on 1 September.

In the protest note sent to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka today, Bangladesh strongly protested and condemned such ruthless acts and expressed deep concern over the incidents.

The government of Bangladesh reminded that such incidents of border killing are undesirable and unwarranted and such actions are in violation of the provisions of the Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, 1975.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma met newly appointed Foreign Secretary Jasim Uddin at his office today and discussed issues of mutual interest.

Yesterday, Foreign Affairs Adviser Hossain said border killing is certainly a barrier to building good relations between Bangladesh and India.

He said there is a repercussion across the country when an individual is killed along the border.

"That is a negative repercussion which we do not want," said the Adviser.

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel gunned down another Bangladeshi teen and injured two others including the teen's father along Baliadangi border in Thakurgaon early yesterday, said police.

The victim was identified as Joyanta Kumar Singha, 15, while the injured were Joyanta's father Mahadev Kumar Singha, and Bangdu Mohammad, of Fakir Bhita village in the upazila.

The injured are undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital, he said, adding that the BSF troops took away the body. 

Describing border killings unacceptable, Hossain said border killing took place when it was said the two countries are going through a golden chapter and there has been no change in this trend.