India’s actions along the Bangladesh border have sparked a serious humanitarian crisis and deep diplomatic tensions. This leads to the loss of human lives and created such a situation where communities are terrorized. What is officially framed as a crackdown on “illegal immigration” increasingly looks like a system of excessive force, lawless enforcement and disregard for both human rights and Bangladesh’s sovereignty.
India’s (BSF), operating along with the long and porous India-Bangladesh frontier which claims to be curbing “illegal immigration.” Yet, civil society and human rights groups warned that these border operations often translate into deadly violence against Bangladeshi civilians. According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), in the 10 years up to 2025, the BSF had killed 305 Bangladeshis and injured 282 additional. In 2024 alone, HRSS recorded 47 shootings, 158 arrests and 26 fatalities. These are not just one-off the incidents. They illustrated a long-term pattern in which unarmed, often impoverished people for instance farmers, cattle traders or simple cross-border workers, who became the victims of lethal force. Such operations are carried out despite of repeated diplomatic pledges. New Delhi and Dhaka have had several high-level meetings to address the border violences, including under the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP). Nevertheless, according to HRSS, the killing continued, raising grave questions about the real human cost of India’s immigration policy.
Alarmingly, many of those affected belong to marginalized groups especially religious minorities and border communities living in constant fear. These people are sometimes falsely labeled “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants,” detained and subjected to violence. The incident of three young men killed by the BSF in December 2024 at Jessore’s Panchbhulot border was specifically disturbing. According to Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), they were beaten, attacked with sharp weapons and denied due process. In August 2025, JMBF again sounded the shock, condemning the killing of 25-year-old Abdur Rahman by the BSF at the Kanaighat border in Sylhet. These are not isolated cases they suggest a pattern in which minority individuals are disproportionately vulnerable, even when they pose no real “threat.” The border communities also face the risk of arbitrary displacement, detention and constant surveillance. This systemic pressure evokes a troubling dynamic. It is not simply bordering control but a coercive strategy that undermines the dignity and basic rights of vulnerable populations.
These repeated killings and abuses were not just a humanitarian issue; they are poisoning Indo-Bangladesh relations. The Bangladeshi government has formally protested multiple times. After the tragic death of 13-year-old Shwarna Das (shot by BSF on September 1, 2024), Dhaka sent a protest note demanding that India investigate every border killing, identify those responsible and prosecute them. Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, stated clearly that the language of protest has been made stronger, warning that continued violence damages bilateral ties irreparably. Meanwhile, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) chief Maj. Gen Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui has cautioned that ongoing killings may derail repatriation processes by undermining trust. Civil society is also mobilizing. More than 200 prominent Bangladeshis writers, activists and academics have urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to intervene. They are calling on Delhi to stop what they describe as systematic extrajudicial killings. Their appeal highlighted that how deeply border violence is eroding regional trust and inflaming a humanitarian crisis.
When examined as a whole, these developments painted a chilling picture of a powerful state using force to dominate and intimidate its smaller neighbor under the cover of “security.” The repeated killings suggest not a breakdown of control, but a deliberate message that lives of border residents, especially minorities can be overlooked. This dynamic also threatens regional stability. The border communities live under a shadow of fear. Their livelihoods are disrupted. Families bear the trauma of loss. Such conditions aggravate social tensions and fracture community trust. Over time, border violence may erode not just diplomatic goodwill but also the very foundations of cooperation between the two nations. The International Human Rights actors have raised concerns. Rights groups like HRSS and JMBF have consistently called for accountability, transparency and independent investigations. Nonetheless till today, the progress appears to be limited, with systemic impunity persisting.
To break this cycle, both India and Bangladesh must take concrete and immediate steps:
- Independent Investigations: Every border killing must be subject to a credible and impartial inquiry, preferably with third-party or international observers. This includes full forensic analysis, witness interviews and public reporting.
- Prosecute Those Responsible: Authorities must ensure that BSF personnel and any other individuals involved in shootings or abuse are held accountable under national and international law.
- Reform Use-of-Force Rules: The BSF should revise its engagement protocols. Lethal force should be the last resort. Non-lethal means, stricter rules of engagement and clearer accountability are essential.
- Strengthen Bilateral Mechanisms: Dhaka and New Delhi should institutionalize a regular, transparent dialogue on border violence. They need real, enforceable mechanisms, not just the statements but to monitor and prevent killings.
- Protect Border Communities: There must be a legal protection for those living on the border belt. The cross-border livelihoods, movements and civil rights must be safeguarded so that communities are not forced into dangerous, illegal crossings out of desperation.
- Engage the International Community: Bangladesh should continue to use diplomatic channels, civil society pressure and international human rights platforms including the UN, to press for justice and policy change.
Conclusion:
The repeated killings of Bangladeshi citizens by the BSF, carried out in the name of “illegal immigration control,” expose a much deeper crisis. This is not only about enforcing borders, it is about violating human rights, undermining sovereignty and destabilizing fragile communities. For Bangladesh, protesting is not enough. It needs strong diplomacy, legal accountability and international support. For India, any legitimate security mission must be balanced with respect for life, dignity and international norms. If both nations truly wish to build lasting peace and cooperation, they must stop allowing the border to become a killing field. Only then they can ensure that respect, live without fear and defines their relationship in a better term.