Bangladesh summons Indian envoy to protest girl''s killing

Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, Jan 17 (PTI) Bangladesh summoned Indian HighCommissioner here to lodge a protest against the "brutal"killing of a 15-year old girl allegedly by BSF, ahead of acrucial bilateral meeting of senior Home Ministry officials.

The foreign ministry today said it has lodged a strongprotest against the girl''s killing by summoning Indian HighCommissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter yesterday.

BSF men reportedly shot Falani as she was trying toreturn home from India, where she was working.

"The acting foreign secretary handed over a noteverbal protesting the brutal and senseless killing of a minorgirl on the Fulbari border in Kurigram on January 7," thestatement said.

The statement said the envoy assured the foreignoffice that he would convey Bangladesh''s concern to the Indianauthorities "as well as to take all necessary actions toprevent recurrence of such inhuman acts of killing ofinnocents on Bangladesh India border".

Hundreds of frontier villagers last week stagedprotests at northwestern Kurigram frontier after the incident.

Police and reports said Falani was shot in her rightshoulder and died instantly as her clothes got entangled inthe barbed wire fencing on the borders.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday said thatBangladesh would raise the killing of Felani in theSecretary-level talks to be held here from Wednesday.

Handing over of ULFA leader Anup Chetia to India,cooperation in anti-terror steps and firing along theinternational border will be high on the agenda during theHome Secretary level talks.

Indian delegation, led by Union Home Secretary Gopal KPillai, will engage in extensive deliberations with theBangladesh team, headed Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, onall bilateral security issues during the two day dialogue. PTIAR