Bangladesh-India Border Killings: Time for Dhaka to Rethink Frontier Policy

 

The 4,096 km border between Bangladesh and India ranks as the fifth-longest international border globally, yet it has become one of South Asia's most dangerous borders. The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has systematically killed Bangladeshis for over 20 years, evading accountability despite formal diplomatic commitments to prevent border fatalities.

The pivotal moment for Bangladesh occurred when the Awami League regime was ousted following a mass student revolution, and the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, assumed power on August 08, 2024. This event has changed the dimension of Bangladesh-India foreign relations, and Bangladesh had to rethink its policies with India, which includes the Indian forces' aggression on the Bangladesh border.

The Systematic Violence

The Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) of Bangladesh reports that Indian border guards had killed a minimum of 34 Bangladeshis during the initial 11 months of the interim government of Bangladesh, with 30 fatalities occurring in 2024 and 31 in 2023. The overtly contentious "shoot-on-sight" policy implemented by the BSF has resulted in numerous tragic incidents; the most recent occurring on July 25th, when two boys were killed and another injured near the Bashpaduya border in Feni. Md Liton and Md Millat Hossain were fatally shot after purportedly crossing into Indian territory. On December 3, 2025, a Bangladeshi youth was fatally shot at the Patgram border in Lalmonirhat. Despite India's repeated commitments to cease border killings, the violence persists, prompting demands for more stringent diplomatic measures and international engagement.

Accounts of the border killings are well-documented in the historical record. Between 2000 and 2020, around 1,236 Bangladeshi individuals were killed by BSF shots, while an additional 1,145 sustained injuries. Between 2013 and 2023, human rights organizations reported that the BSF killed a total of 332 individuals, averaging over 30 fatalities annually. The surge illustrates a history of persistent aggression: in 2020, 51 killings were recorded, the most severe outbreak of murders in almost ten years, and from January to July of this year, at least 17 Bangladeshis were fatally shot.

The Felani Khatun Case

The most notable instance involves 15-year-old Felani Khatun, who a BSF personnel fatally shot on January 7, 2011. The emblematic depiction of her body suspended upside down, ensnared by the barbed-wire fence for four hours while imploring for water, became a worldwide symbol of border violence. Her father denounced the ruling of a BSF court as an "affront to justice," stating: "My daughter was shot and left suspended in barbed wire like a bird by the BSF."  The BSF trooper was exonerated on September 6, 2013. An application for reinvestigation that had been ongoing in the Supreme Court of India remains.

Institutional Impunity

In connection with this absence of accountability, Human Rights Watch has recorded that there are no known instances in which Indian authorities have held BSF personnel accountable for border abuses, resulting in institutionalized impunity. From 2013 until 2023, about 500 Bangladeshi citizens were abducted. In 2013, over 175 Bangladeshi people were kidnapped, with just about half, specifically 49, being rescued by the BGB.

Human Trafficking and Drug Smuggling

Bangladesh is impacted by people trafficking and migrant smuggling due to poverty, gender inequality, illiteracy, and ineffective governance. Jashore, Sathkhira, Meherpur, Kushtia, and Rajshahi serve as the primary escape sites for trafficking victims from the border areas. Significantly, just 245 of the 668 human trafficking cases submitted by 2019 had been adjudicated.

What was previously a worry regarding drug trafficking has evolved into a scourge. Brown sugar heroin, marijuana, opium, and phensedyl cough syrup originating from Indian pharmaceutical factories within the border region. The nation's population of drug users is 8.3 million. While drug addiction predominantly impacts males, it is also observed in females and children. This estimate derives from a recent evaluation conducted by the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC). There are accusations against India of illegally smuggling narcotics products to Bangladesh, as well as other illegal goods.

India’s ruling BJP Government's Expulsion Policy

One of the most troubling trends under India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is its systematic expulsion of ethnic Bengali Muslims into Bangladesh. Since May 2025, Indian authorities have expelled several hundred ethnic Bengali Muslims without due process, branding them as "illegal immigrants."  According to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), India deported more than 1,500 Muslim individuals, including men, women, and children, from May 7 to June 15, 2025, with about one hundred of them being Rohingya refugees. Between May 7 and August 15, India facilitated the entry of 2,196 persons across 24 border districts, with Sylhet documenting the repatriation of 575 from Moulvibazar and 254 from Sylhet.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma acknowledged the repatriation of 330 purported illegal immigrants, stating that "foreigners" will now be expelled without tribunal involvement. Specific instances demonstrate inhumane techniques.

Why have the diplomatic efforts failed regarding the border security issue?

From February 17 to 20, 2025, Bangladesh and India agreed to reduce fatalities to zero by enhancing patrols, exchanging information, boosting public awareness in border regions, and promoting socio-economic development. Nevertheless, the homicides persisted without delay. During the August 2025 Director General (DG) level discussion, both parties concurred to end killings, smuggling, and illegal incursions, and to repatriate in accordance with established legal procedures. In his resolve to prevent a recurrence of the massacre by preventative measures and resolve the border issues, a bilateral discussion was held between DG BGB and DG BSF. The Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) was identified as crucial for combating border crimes and human trafficking; yet, despite consensus on real-time information sharing, enforcement remains severely inadequate.

One of the major reasons behind such ‘barren diplomatic efforts’ is the lack of political will from the Indian side, which acts unilaterally, resulting in violence.

The Bangladesh-India border is the most lethal globally for human life, rather than for geopolitical reasons, necessitating that international scrutiny and accountability extend beyond bilateral diplomacy. Based on historical precedents, this matter should be addressed before the UN Human Rights Council or the International Court of Justice, as Bangladesh is witnessing no repercussions that could affect Indian impunity. Bangladesh can safeguard its citizens from violence and the loss of lives by enhancing border force capacity, exerting international pressure, and implementing complete documentation. The major question arises whether Bangladesh should rethink its current border policy and stance in the future regarding border security issues.


Jaidul Karim Iram is Executive Officer at
People’s University of Bangladesh, Dhaka.