Dhaka to seek Felani murder trial details
BGB-BSF talks from today
Dhaka will seek to know from Delhi why the General Security Forces Court of Indias BSF had upheld a previous court of inquiry verdict absolving its Constable Amiya Ghose from charges of murdering Bangladeshi girl Felani Khatun.
Dhaka will make the plea during the 5-day Director General (DG)-level talks between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) of India that begins in New Delhi today.
BSF General Security Forces Court, after conducting hearings of the revision trial on July 3, acquitted the BSF constable of Felani murder charge.
Fifteen-year-old Felani Khatun was shot and killed by BSF along the Anantapur border in Kurigram on January 7, 2011.
We will inform our counterpart that BGB and Felanis family opposed the court verdict and that they have decided to lodge an appeal before the Supreme Court of India, Director General of BGB Major General Aziz Ahmed told The Independent yesterday.
BSF is yet to officially announce the verdict of its court as the forces Directorate General is yet to approve it, he added.
During the talks, the BGB also will discuss ways to ensure better management of the porous 4,096-km-long border between the two countries to curb cross-border terrorism.
In the ensuing meeting, the BGB will call upon the Indian government to take necessary steps to prevent smuggling of arms, explosives, drugs like phensidyl, heroin and other contraband items into Bangladesh from India.
