Today marks 11 years of killing Felani Khatun, a 15-year-old girl who was shot to death by the Indian Border Security Force on the Anantapur border in Kurigram.
The people of the country woke up to the dreadful image of Felani hanging from the barbed fence at Indian border on this day in 2011.
In February 2020, an Indian High Court bench posted the Felani killing case for further hearing on March 18 after the Indian government had submitted its argument during the hearing.
West Bengal-based Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha secretary Kirity Roy said all the responders replied to the High Court by now but the matter was yet to be heard.
On August 19, 2011, Felani’s parents travelled to the BSF office at Cooch Behar to give evidence before the Security Force Court at the trial of constable Amiya Ghosh but they were neither allowed to attend nor observe the trial.
On September 6, 2013, the BSF constable, Amiya Ghosh, was acquitted.
Urging to stop border killing her father Nur Islam said, “Where should we go to seek justice for my daughter? Every border killing bleeds me. I know how pathetic it is.”
Anguished by the decision of the Security Force Court, Nur Islam wrote a letter to the High Commissioner of India in Dhaka and Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha, or Masum in short, asking the Indian government to take action against the constable, who killed his daughter. Felani’s father also asked for compensation.
On November 17, 2014, the father came to India and gave evidence before the Review Court but said that they were not permitted to attend the rest of the proceedings.
On July 29, 2015, the father, Mohammad Nur Islam, and Kirity Roy of Masum jointly filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court of India and prayed for the constitution of a Central Bureau of Investigation team consisting of officers from outside the state of West Bengal to take over the investigation of the case and prosecute the offenders in accordance with law.
‘We are still waiting to see the response from the High Court bench and then will mobilise our next course of action,’ Kirity told New Age.
On Thursday, a platform called Nagorik Parishad staged a demonstration in the northern district of Kurigram and demanded justice.
Dhaka-based rights group Ain O Salish Kendra in their 2021 annual report said BSP allegedly killed 18 people despite repeated promises from the Indian authorities to stop the killing.
