The parents of Felani Khatun, who was shot dead by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the Kurigram border 14 years ago, have accused the previous Awami League government of failing to secure justice for their daughter.
Felani, who was 15 when she was killed on January 7, 2011, was attempting to cross the border with her father when she was shot.
Her parents, Nurul Islam and Jahanara Begum, expressed the hope on Tuesday that they might still secure justice through the International Court via the interim government.
They claimed they had been denied justice due to the inaction of the past AL government, with Nurul Islam stating, “We want to see justice for my daughter before we die.”
Jahanara Begum said, “The Sheikh Hasina government (of the past) didn’t try to take a strong stand against India. We pray for justice through the Yunus government via the International Court.”
Nurul Islam, a resident of Colonitari village in Ramkhana union of Nageshwari upazila, had migrated to India and was living in Bongaigaon with his family. Felani’s marriage was arranged in Bangladesh, and she had to cross the Indian border to return for it.
Protest at DU: Felani's father recalls harrowing moments of daughter's tragic death
She had been working as a domestic help in New Delhi.
Felani and her father were returning home through the Anantapur border when BSF personnel shot her dead.
Her lifeless body, hanging from a barbed-wire fence, went viral, sparking global outrage and prompting the BSF to open an investigation.
The BSF initially charged Constable Amiya Ghosh, and a trial began in the Cooch Behar court in 2013, but the court acquitted Ghosh.
In response to criticism, the BSF reopened the case. A new trial began in an Indian court on September 22, 2014, where Felani's father testified against Ghosh. But the court upheld the acquittal in 2015.
Frustrated by the outcome, Nurul Islam took the case to the Indian Supreme Court with assistance from the human rights group Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha.
The court accepted the petition in 2015, issuing show-cause notices to several concerned bodies, including India's home ministry. However, the hearing has been delayed multiple times.
Nurul Islam said he had repeatedly traveled to India to testify in court, raising concerns over the actions of BSF officer Amiya Ghosh. “Still, we have not received justice. But we have not lost hope in the Indian Supreme Court,” he said.
Advocate SM Abraham Lincoln, former Public Prosecutor of Kurigram Judge Court, noted that the writ in the Felani murder case is still listed in the Indian Supreme Court.
He said that the case’s progress is crucial, stating that a fair trial would protect both Bangladeshi and Indian citizens.
Locals hope that bringing justice for Felani’s murder could lead to a reduction in border killings.