West Bengal civil society backs Bangladesh concern over border killing: FM

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said that the civil society of neighbouring Indian state West Bengal has recently demanded to stop border killing along the Bangladesh-India frontier.

"General people, intellectuals, journalists and artists of Paschim Bangla (West Bengal) recently raised a demand to stop any killing at the border," he told newsmen at Tungipara in Gopalganj.

The foreign minister hoped that people and state government of west Bengal as well as Indian central government would work together to ensure 'zero killing' at the border.

"We don't want to see any killing at the frontier whoever Bangladeshi or Indian," he added.

Dr Momen reiterated that border killing is unfortunate for Bangladesh and it is a shame for India.

The foreign minister said even after firm commitment between highest level of the two countries like Indian premier Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, such tragic incident has taken place along the frontier.

Dr Momen wondered that why the decision of not using lethal weapon at border area, committed by the Indian highest level, could not reach their apparatus deployed at the frontier.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh in March this year, the two sides agreed that any death along the border is a matter of concern, according to the joint statement.

During that visit, the two sides also directed the border guarding forces to bring down such death of civilians to a zero level.

The foreign minister accompanied by the Sylhet Awami league leaders paid homage to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreath at his grave here.