On 7th January 2011, Felani, a Bengali girl aged fifteen years became one of the victims of impunity of the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF)at the India-Bangladesh International Border No. 947 in Anatrapur, Kurigram. Felani was pinnedon to the barbed wire fence for hours, butchered afterwards and handed to the Bangladesh side of the border after thirty hours. She was crossing the border from India with her father, Mohammad Nur Islam, for her wedding to have been held on the following day. Reports said that Felanihad got caught on the barbed wires and was eventually shot dead.  Villagers found Felanihanging on the Bangladesh side of the border. However, Nur Islam thinks that after he crossed the border and left Felanion the Indian side, the BSF took advantage, raped his daughter, then threw heron to the barbed wire fence to suffer, before finally shooting her to death.Nur Islam raises two irregularitiesin the events that transpired. Firstly, if Felani was shot immediately in the chest, she couldn’t have survived four hours hanging and secondly, how and why the clothes that Felaniwore were changed.

There has been no Justice for Felani’s death. No one got arrested or punished for the inhumane treatment meted to her by the Indian Border Security Forces.It was talked about, published in stories, broadcast on television, but was never investigated. In an article published in the prestigious ProthomAlonewspaper on 29th May 2011, the Home Minister ShaharaKhatunsaid in a statement that Felani was not a citizen of Bangladesh but he was coming to visit Felani’s family in Kurigram to give financial support. The question here too is if Felani was not a citizen of the country, why then would the government care to give help of any kind?

The family of Felani got a significant amount of money after her death. This was crucial in silencing a poor family.“I will give back the 3 lakhs they gave me, in return, they should give back my Felani,” says her mother.

Following the news ofFelani’s death, activists started a poster, campaign for justice, but they were threatened with arrest. The enforced silence is a sign of great respect for the friendship between India and Bangladesh. Out of love for her neighbor country, the Bangladeshi government was, and is willing to sacrifice its own people.

What happened to Felani is indicative of what can happen to anyone in Bangladesh. The tragedy lies not only inFelani’s death but the continuing killings without any remorse at the India-Bangladesh border. In this modern age and time, we see injustice at its finest lingering in every corner of our beloved Bangladesh. The fear of what BSF can do to other people remains, but the greater fear is for the land we call home. Even with all these atrocities, no one has taken relevant action to uphold justice.

Democracy tells us we are free, that each and every human being has an inherent right to a dignified life. But then how canwe be free,when we can suffer and die needlesslyat any time?How can we be free,whenwe are enslaved by countless borders threatening the lives of our people? How can we be free,when our rights are not upheld?How can we be free,when justice for everyone is still a dream waiting in the wings of history?

It is death after death after death.In 2010, BSF shot and killed total of 105 Bangladeshis. In the first week of 2011, 6 were killed including Felani. Rest assured, the killings will continue and more lives will be put to waste in the border of impunity.

As the blogger Rezwan said: “We will just utter the magic words like parrots, long live India-Bangladesh friendship.”