Felani's parents are still haunted by the sight of the bullet riddled lifeless body of their beloved child hanging on a barbed wire, who was shot dead by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) as she crossed the Indo-Bangla border into Bangladesh.
Although has been 10 long years since the brutal killing that triggered a global outcry, the judicial process to ensure justice for Felani is yet to be complete.
Yet, Felani's parents have not lost hope and now want the Supreme Court of India to ensure justice for their daughter.
"We expect that Indian Border Security Force (BSF) member Amiya Ghosh, who killed Felani, will be sentenced in the Supreme Court and we will get justice," Felani’s father Nur Islam and mother Jahanara Begum said marking her 10th death anniversary on Thursday.
On the morning of January 7, 2011, Felani was returning home from India after crossing the barbed wire fence with her father Nur Islam at the Anantapur border in Fulbari upazila of Kurigram.
BSF member Amiya Ghosh shot Felani as she was following her father, who crossed the border first. The teenager died on the spot.
The body of the 14-year-old girl was hanging on a barbed wire fence for about five hours. After two days of flag meetings, the BSF returned the body to the BGB.
She was later buried at her ancestral home in Colonitari village of Ramkhana union in Nageshwari upazila.
Although the Indian government tried to avoid the killing of Felani, the Bangladesh government and international human rights organizations protested the killing and called for a speedy trial.
Subsequently on August 13, 2013, court proceedings began at the General Security Force court, situated at 181 BSF Battalion headquarters in India. However, the court acquitted the accused BSF member on September 6 of the same year.
When Felani’s parents rejected the verdict, court proceedings began again on September 22, 2014 and the court acquitted the accused on July 2, 2015.
After rejecting the second verdict, Felani’s father, along with the Kolkata-based human rights organization Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha’s General Secretary Kirity Roy joint filed a writ-petition with the Indian Supreme Court. In 2015, a bench headed by the Chief Justice accepted the writ and served a notice to the defendants asking for a response.
The defendants followed suit but ever since their submission, the apex court is yet to hold another hearing after a repeated deferring of court dates.
Earlier on August 27, 2013, Felani’s father and Salma Ali, Executive Director of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, had filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court of India but to no avail since not a single hearing was held for the writ.
‘Felani’s memories yet to be erased’
Felani’s family has organized a milad mahfil and prayers for the forgiveness of her soul at their home in Colonitari village of Ramkhana union in Nageshwari upazila on Thursday noon.
"Even in ten years, Felani's memory has not been erased. We have organized milad mahfil for the forgiveness of her soul. But Felani's soul will find peace when the killer Amiya Ghosh is punished. I believe that the Supreme Court of India will bring justice to the murderer of our daughter and punish the killer,” said her father.
Moreover, Felani’s parents urged the Bangladesh government to ensure justice and also sought for financial support.
