Local journalist Kabirul Islam said: “These border killings will hurt bilateral ties between Bangladesh and India. Thakurgaon-based human rights activist Abdul Latif said such killings can be avoided if BSF only shows a little bit of restraint. Several families of the victims also questioned the role of BSF’s 171st battalion Commander Commandant Rakesh Sinha in the border killings. Though the BSF said they had adopted the strategy to use non-lethal weapons since 2012, border killings, of mostly Bangladeshi nationals, took place in phases along different border points since then. The BSF claim they open fire at suspects or trespassers only when they fail to take control of a situation using non-lethal weapons.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 30, 2019 19:41 UTC