Deaths along the Bangladesh–India border

Bangladesh–India border

Deaths along the Bangladesh-India border occur several times a year due to illegal entry of people from Bangladesh into India, cross-border firing, and cattle smuggling along the 4,096 km (2,546 mi) long international border between the two countries. The Indian Border Guard's shoot-on-sight policy to prevent cross-border smuggling and illegal immigration from Bangladesh remains in place, allowing them to shoot Bangladeshi nationals with or without reason. Many of the casualties are cattle traders and farmers in the borderlands.

Numerous individuals cross the border for various reasons such as visiting family members, purchasing goods in bazaars, finding employment, farming, or fishing in the river near the border. However, some individuals also engage in various cross-border crimes. To combat illegal activities, border forces have been mandated to address issues such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, and the transportation of counterfeit currency and explosives.

Murder

Indian border guards have been accused of killing approximately 1,500 Bangladeshis and civilians since 2000. Adhikar, a Bangladeshi NGO, documented the killing of at least 17 Bangladeshis and various instances of torture by Indian border forces from January to June 2011. According to Masum, a Kolkata-based NGO that uncovers information on the border area, the BSF continues to aggressively intimidate, brutally beat, and torture suspects in the Bangladesh-India border area despite a decrease in firing rates.

In July 2011, Human Rights Watch urged the Indian government to conduct a swift, clear, and transparent criminal investigation into fresh allegations of killings, torture, and other abuses by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Bangladesh border. The organization's South Asia director, Meenakshi Ganguly, expressed concern over the excessive use of force and indiscriminate beatings at the border, questioning India's commitment to the rule of law.

Human Rights Watch's Asia division executive director, Brad Adams, also commented on the border killings, citing a report that revealed about 1000 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) from 2001 to 2010. The report also highlighted the regular threats and torture of local Bangladeshi civilians by Indian paramilitary forces along the border, with alleged lack of assistance from Bangladeshi border guards. Additionally, Adhikar, a human rights organization based in Bangladesh, alleged that the BSF has been involved in looting in border areas.

Bad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said of the border killings, "Routinely shooting poor, unarmed villagers is not how the world's largest democracy should behave."

Bangladeshi casualties

From 2001 to 2010, Human rights organisations state that around 1,000 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by the Border Security Force (BSF). From 2012 to 2016, around 146 Bangladeshi civilians were killed by BSF and Indian civilians, according to Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal. The Daily Star, a Bangladeshi newspaper, reports that from 2010 to 2016, on average, 40 Bangladeshi nationals were killed at the border every year.

Year	Killed	Injured	Abducted	Missing	Rape	Snatching	Push in	Other	Total
1972	15								15
1973	20								20
1974	23								23
1975	11								11
1976	16								16
1977	27								27
1978	12								12
1979	22								22
1980	18								18
1981	12								12
1982	19								19
1983	16								16
1984	23								23
1985	27								27
1986	30								30
1987	17								17
1988	13								13
1989	17								17
1990	18								18
1991	15								15
1992	16								16
1993	23								23
1994	39								39
1995	36								36
1996	31								31
1997	33								33
1998	37								37
1999	38								38
2000	31	17	106	0	2	13	0	0	169
2001	84	29	55	0	1	10	0	0	179
2002	94	42	118	30	0	12	0	0	296
2003	27	41	120	7	2	8	0	0	205
2004	72	30	73	0	0	5	0	0	180
2005	88	53	78	14	3	4	0	0	240
2006	155	121	160	32	2	9	0	0	479
2007	118	82	92	9	3	5	198	0	507
2008	61	46	81	0	0	3	20	0	211
2009	98	77	25	13	1	1	90	3	308
2010	74	72	43	2	0	1	5	0	197
2011	31	62	23	0	0	0	0	9	125
2012	38	100	74	1	0	9	0	16	238
2013	29	79	127	0	1	77	41	0	354
2014	35	68	99	2	0	0	0	5	209
2015	44	60	27	1	0	0	0	0	132
2016	29	36	22	0	0	0	0	0	87
2017	25	39	28	0	0	0	0	0	92
2018	11	24	16	0	0	0	0	0	51
2019	41	40	34	0	0	0	0	0	115
2020	51	27	7	0	0	0	0	1	86
2021	17	12	0	0	1	0	0	1	31
2022	18	21	0	0	0	0	0	0	39
Grand Total	1895	1178	1408	111	16	157	354	35	5154