2011 BD-IN Bangladesh-India Bangladesh-India

Killing of Felani Khatun

Felani Khatun (Bengali: ফেলানী খাতুন), a 15 year old Bangladeshi girl, was shot and killed by India's Border Security Force (BSF) on 7 January 2011, at India-Bangladesh border. This photograph showing Felani Khatun's dead body hanging on a border fence made of barbed wire was picked up by international media, and the publication of this photograph evoked international concern.

Killing

Felani was a 15 year old Bangladeshi girl. Her father arranged her marriage in Bangladesh. She returned to Bangladesh with her father from New Delhi, India, where the family had been illegally staying. On Friday, 7 January 2011 at about 8.30am she and her father attempted to illegally cross the Bangladeshi-Indian border by climbing the barbed wire boundary using a ladder. The exact location was International Border No. 947, between 3 and 4 s pillar of Anantapur, Fulbari. Her father, Nuru Mia, crossed first. But when Felani tried to climb over the fence, her clothes got entangled in the wire, and she started screaming. Hearing her scream, the BSF members started shooting at her. She was asking for water till her death.

Court

A special court set up by India’s Border Security Force acquitted BSF Constable Amiya Ghosh of the charge of killing Bangladeshi girl Felani Khatun at the Cooch Behar border. Felani’s father M Nurul Islam and maternal uncle M Abdul Hanif travelled to Cooch Behar to testify at the court. Lt Col Ziaul Haque Khaled of BGB 45 Battalion and Kurigram public prosecutor Abraham Lincoln also went to assist the witnesses. BSF’s 181 Battalion Constable Amiya Ghosh, the prime accused, could not be found guilty because of “inconclusive and insufficient” evidence against him, the court said in its verdict. A five-man BSF General Security Forces court headed by its Assam-Meghalaya frontier DIG (Communication) SP Trivedi conducted the hearings at Sonari BSF camp near the North Bengal town of Cooch Behar from August 13.

Verdict

BSF officials said that the verdict and proceedings of the GSF court were forwarded to the Director General for final approval because the case has been seen as “extra sensitive.” “We can make a formal announcement only after the DG’s decision,” said a BSF official wishing not to be named as he was not authorised to talk to media.