DUCSU urges govt to move ICC seeking justice for border killings

The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) has called on the government to urgently take steps to file a case with the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging serious violations of international law in the ongoing killings of Bangladeshi citizens along the border.

Condemning the latest incident in which two Bangladeshi youths were allegedly detained, beaten to death and thrown into the Padma River by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) at the Shibganj border in Chapainawabganj, DUCSU said failures in Bangladesh’s foreign diplomacy and the government’s weak stance have allowed such killings to become “an everyday occurrence”.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, signed by DUCSU General Secretary SM Farhad, the union said border killings constitute not only grave human rights violations but also serious breaches of international human rights conventions and border laws.

It stressed that Bangladesh must intensify diplomatic and legal efforts at global platforms, including the ICC, to ensure justice.

According to allegations, the BSF detained the two victims- Ibrahim Rinku, 28, and Momin Mia, 29- tied their hands and feet, beat them to death and dumped their bodies in the river.

DUCSU expressed “deep anger” over the incident, saying the BSF has repeatedly violated international law by killing Bangladeshi citizens since independence.

“The tragic murders of Felani and Swarna Das shook the world, yet no change has been seen in the behaviour of the BSF,” the statement read.

DUCSU further criticised what it described as Bangladesh’s “knee-jerk diplomacy” and repeated failures in addressing the issue, claiming these shortcomings have emboldened the BSF.

Despite India’s repeated assurances to bring border killings down to zero, the opposite has occurred, the union added.

Concluding the statement, DUCSU said Bangladesh now has “no option” but to pursue legal action at international forums, including the ICC, alongside bilateral discussions, to halt the continuous killings at the border.