Border killings much lower now compared to BNP’s rule: Minister

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has asked BNP to compare the number of border killings during the party’s rule with the current figure and claimed it is now much lower than that of their tenures.

“Our government is trying to bring border killings down to zero,” the information minister said this while addressing a memorial meeting at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Monday.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) killed at least 1,185 Bangladeshis along the border between 2000 and 2019, according to Odhikar, a rights organisation.

Earlier on the day BNP called on the government to take steps to stop the killing of Bangladeshis by the BSF on borders between the two neighboring countries.

“We want an end to the border killings. The government must take immediate steps to stop the killings of Bangladeshis along the border,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Last week, the BNP standing committee worked out countrywide protest programmes for Monday in protest against the killing of Bangladeshis by the BSF.

As part of the programmes, black flags were hoisted at the offices of the party across the country, including its Nayapaltan central office while BNP leaders and activists wore black badges.

About the programme, Hasan Mahmud said BNP should wear red badge after seeking apology before the countrymen for killing people through arson attack.

“BNP is wearing black badge in the name of stopping border killing. I would like to ask it to analyse the statistics of border killing when they were in power and what is now,” he said.