“It’s very shameful for us,” he told reporters at a briefing as what he conveyed to the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh recently asking why such incidents would take place when the Bangladesh-India relationship is very strong.
The Foreign Minister said the government of India always gives Bangladesh the confidence and makes promises saying that there would be no single killing but yet it is happening.
He said there has been an agreement that no lethal weapon will be used along the border and it is still happening.
"We don't want to see a single death [along the border]. This isn’t acceptable. India also agreed that this isn’t acceptable," Dr Momen said.
He said the ministry conveyed Bangladesh's message to India regarding border killings through the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh every time of occurrence noting that it is regrettable.
The Foreign Minister said they do not say it frequently that the Indian High Commissioner had been summoned to take credit as the government truly wants a solution.
“We want a solution. We want an amicable solution so that not a single person is sacrificed due to border killing,” he added.
Despite Delhi’s repeated assurances to bring down border deaths, the BSF continues to kill Bangladeshis. Data compiled by rights watchdog Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) show that at least 43 Bangladeshis were killed by BSF last year.
"We're very much alert about it. We’re very careful about it,” he said, while briefing reporters on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Italy visit.
The Foreign Minister also shared the arguments they receive from the Indian side when the border killing issue is discussed. “They’ve various arguments.”
In some cases, Dr Momen said, Bangladesh nationals entered inside their border. He also said there are some greedy people who invite danger.
He urged the people of the country to follow border rules and not to destroy their lives for nominal gain. “They should be more careful.”
The Foreign Minister said the people of Bangladesh remain very careful but they sometimes walk on the wrong path.
Thankful to Foreign Missions
The Foreign Minister expressed gratitude to all the foreign missions in Dhaka for dropping their local staff from observer teams after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised questions about their inclusion violating rules.
“I’m very delighted. I thank all the foreign missions. They’ve the sense of responsibility and they followed the code of conduct,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina lambasted the foreign missions that made Bangladesh nationals ‘foreign election observers’ saying that they have done a very outrageous deed.
Sheikh Hasina also criticised the Election Commission (EC) for accepting the locals as foreign election observers.