5 March 2017, Sun, 12:19

BSF fires 4,000 shots along Bangladesh border but no casualty?

India’s leading newspaper Times of India on Thursday reported that Indian border troopers had to open 4,000 rounds of fire to ‘curb crime along the Bangladesh borders’ in 2016.

The Indian daily, however, does not say how many people were killed by India’s Border Security Force (BSF).

According to human rights organisation, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), at least 31 Bangladeshis were killed by BSF men along the border in 2016.

The ASK also says that the number of Bangladeshis killed by the BSF in 2013 was 26 (12 shot dead), in 2014 it was 33 (16 shot dead), and in 2015 this was 46 (32 shot dead).

According to the TOI, the BSF men opened more than 10 rounds of fire every day during the year along the 1,150-odd km border that falls under the jurisdiction of the frontier.

This figure of rounds of fire was released on Wednesday by the Border Security Force (BSF) during a civic action programme undertaken by the force for the border population.

"Most of the rounds fired were non-lethal. The instruction the troops is to opt for lethal ammunition only as a last resort. This happens only after a jawan or patrol party has been attacked and attempts are being made to snatch weapons," a senior officer told TOI.