Felani`s father responsible for her murder: India

Kurigram Correspondent: The Indian Home Ministry on Wednesday alleged that the father of Bangladeshi teenager Felani was responsible for her murder in 2011.

The India`s formal comment on this issue has been made after India`s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Indian government to pay Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the family of Bangladeshi girl Felani Khatun, who was shot dead by the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) in January 2011.

The decision came over a month after a special court of BSF upheld its previous verdict that acquitted one of its troopers for the killing.

"As her father, Nurul Islam, crossed the border illegally along with her when the death occurred on the day," The Home Ministry sources responded the rights body.

The lawyer of Nurul Islam, Lincoln, had said the NHRC has asked the Indian government to pay a sum of Rs 500,000 to the next of kin of Felani within next six weeks.

Meanwhile, Nur Islam, the father of deceased girl, demanded justice of the killing case by Supreme Court of India.

Fifteen-year-old Felani was shot dead while she, along with her father, was returning home from India through Anantapur border in Phulbari upazila of northern district of Kurigram on January 7, 2011. Felani’s dead body was found hung from barbwire along the border for hours.

After the media published the heart wrenching photo, protests erupted in Bangladesh.

A special court of the BSF began trial over this incident on August 13, 2013. The court acquitted the lone accused trooper, Amiya Ghosh, of the murder charge on September 6, 2013.

The same the court revised the trial upholding its previous verdict after Felani`s father appealed to Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh for revision trial in the case.

Following such barbaric killing, people from all walks of life including political parties, members of civil society and human rights organisation at home and abroad raised voice against the BSF and demanded exemplary punishment to those involved in the killing.

The print and electronic media also published and broadcast many stories about the incident.

The government and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party demanded exemplary punishment to those involved in such barbaric killing of an innocent Bangladeshi girl.

Border Guard Bangladesh in its instant reaction had strongly condemned the killing and demanded immediate trail of the killers. And since the killing of Felani, the BGB high ups maintained communication with the BSF headquarters to know about the development of the murder case.

BSF director general at that time also assured BGB director general of the killers would be brought to book by arranging speedy trial.

risingbd/ KURIGRAM/ Sept 2, 2015/ Badsah/ Mahfuz