Brother sees sister’s face one last time in no man’s land along India border

A Bangladeshi brother has had the rare chance of seeing her dead sister’s face one last time in Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj.

Relatives and family members of the deceased woman thanked the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for arranging the meeting, an event that has become rather uncommon due to growing border tensions between the two neighbours.

BGB Commander Lt Col Golam Kibria said an emotional scene unfolded at the Jaminpur border on Friday morning, thanks to the generosity of the border security forces.

The 75-year-old Foni Begum, a resident of India’s Malda, died on Thursday due to old age complications.

After receiving the news of his sister’s demise, Ataur Rahman, 60, had sought help from the BGB to see his sister one last time. The BGB responded right away, requesting their counterpart to make it happen.

The relatives and family members were overwhelmed with emotion as they watched the face of their dead relative, Kibria said.

A similar situation had unfolded at the Admatpur border in the same Upazila on Nov 8.

Many families living along the Bangladesh-India border have not met each other for decades, particularly since the Partition of India in 1947.

The border that suddenly emerged between them became an insurmountable barrier.

People are often killed at the border, particularly at the hands of the BSF, who cite smuggling control as justification for their actions.

Even the birth of Bangladesh and the defeat of Pakistani occupation forces in 1971 did little to reduce these tensions.