Protesters on Saturday took part in Gayebana Janaza (token funeral prayers) for the people killed at Bangladesh-India borders.
Protesters under the banner Bangladesher Nagorikbrindo (Citizens of Bangladesh) mostly comprising quota reformation movement activists, left-leaning student body leaders and few Chhatra Dal leaders took part at the programme at Raju sculpture of Dhaka University (DU).
The prayer was directed by Akram Hossain, a fourth year Sociology department student of DU also an associate of quota reform movement platform.
Before the prayer, citing a report, Brac University teacher Khandaker Muhammad Abdur Raquib said, “1,185 Bangladeshis have been killed so far in absence of justice since 2001. 1,118 were injured and over 1,400 Bangladeshis have disappeared and several women have been raped.”
“Living in modern state, sometimes, we think that justice is everywhere and no one can be punished without facing trial. But India has done this to Bangladeshis without having a care for law. India is tagging those killed Bangladeshis as smugglers, which is nothing but false allegation,” he added.
Raquib urged the justice to meet with the families of those killed at the border.
Umama Fatema, a second year student of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department said, “Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sometimes claim that those killed were involved with drug peddling, smuggling while the Indians are supplying the illegal items. Our BGB is seen trying to justifying the issue. Also, our government is trying to justify the extra-judicial killing inside the country in the name of cross-fire.”
Criticizing the Bangladeshi government’s role on justifying those unethical issues she said, “We have to raise questions on the judicial system of our country and then we can challenge the neighboring country on their illegal deeds.”
Namaz-e-Janaza is an Islamic ritual performed after a muslim’s death to seek peace for the after-life of the deceased.
