Bangladesh FM Moni protests BSF DG's remarks on border shooting

Dhaka, Feb. 12 (ANI): Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni today said any incident of torture, killing and opening of fire on Bangladeshi citizens by India's Border Security Forces (BSF) is unacceptable.

She was reacting to BSF Director General U K Bansal's comment in an interview to the BBC Bengali Service on February 8, in which he reportedly said it would not be possible to stop firing totally along the border that separates the two countries so long as criminal activities continued.

Cross-border firing between Indian and Bangladeshi paramilitary forces has been a key focus of talks between their chiefs amid pledges to scale back confrontation.

"Why in Bangladesh there would be resentment over such firings anywhere. We have protested and there is total understanding at the political level that this can't go on, and there has been assurances from the highest level. And, any such assurances are at variance at the personal level. It is very disapointing and very very surprising," she told reporters at Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

Dr. Moni was interacting with Indian and other foreign mediapersons who are visiting Bangladesh for a week.

Dhaka has continuously protested against border-related killings, firings and incidents of torture.

Dr. Moni said both governments are trying to bring down border killings to zero.

Dr. Moni's statement came three days after two Bangladeshi citizens were injured, allegedly in BSF firing. BSF personnel reportedly opened fire while the duo were on the banks of Shonai River in the Kaakdanga border region of the Satkhira Kolaroa Upazila. By Praful Kumar Singh (ANI)