Dhaka lodges formal protest over killing of Shwarna Das by BSF

Bangladesh has 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 the Border Security Force (BSF) of India on 1 September 2024, the foreign ministry has said. 

“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,” reads a ministry press statement issued today (5 September).

“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,” it added.

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

The BSF handed over the body Shwarna Das to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Tuesday night—45 hours after the incident occurred, according to media reports.

Shwarna was the daughter of Porendra Das, a resident of Kalnigar village in Paschim Juri union under Juri upazila.

She was fatally shot by BSF personnel as she and others attempted to cross into India near the Lalarchak border area of Sharifpur union in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila on Sunday night, The Business Standard reported Wednesday (4 September).

Kulaura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Binoy Bhusan Roy said that the body was returned to the girl’s family after completing the necessary legal procedures.

BGB-46 Battalion Lalarchak Border Outpost (BOP) Patrol Commander Naik Obaid said a flag meeting was convened between the BGB and BSF to address the situation.

Swarna’s father Porendra Das told the media that Swarna and her mother on Sunday night attempted to cross into India illegally to visit his eldest son, who lives in Tripura. They were aided by two local brokers. 

Around 9pm, as they reached the barbed wire fence, BSF personnel opened fire, killing Swarna instantly. Swarna’s mother narrowly escaped the gunfire.

“During the incident, a couple from Chattogram who were with them also sustained injuries. Once the firing stopped, Swarna’s mother and the others took shelter in a house in Lalarchak village. The injured couple was later reportedly taken to MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital in Sylhet for treatment,” he added.