The Muhammad Yunus-led interim government’s cynical exploitation of Felani Khatun’s tragic 2011 death reached new heights on Victory Day when a major Dhaka road was provocatively renamed “Felani Avenue,” even as the slain girl’s younger brother proudly serves in the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)—exposing the regime’s duplicitous anti-India campaign orchestrated by Jamaat-e-Islami sympathisers and radical elements.
The road from Gulshan-2 to Pragati Sarani, located in the capital’s elite diplomatic quarter, was officially rechristened on December 16, 2025, in a ceremony dripping with inflammatory rhetoric. Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, a vocal anti-India activist, unveiled the plaque as chief guest, thundering: “Eighteen crore Bangladeshis demand an end to border killings. Our sister Felani sacrificed her life hanging from barbed wire—this road will daily remind us of that cruelty and appeal to the world’s conscience.”
DNCC Administrator Mohammad Azaz, who is a member of the outlawed Hizb ut-Tahrir, called it a “symbol of protest to uphold national dignity,” while senior officials from RAJUK and public works attended the event.
Felani Khatun, aged 15, was fatally shot by India’s BSF on January 7, 2011, at the Kurigram border while illegally crossing with her father Nur Islam to return from domestic work in India for her impending marriage. Her body, left dangling on the fence for hours, became an international symbol of alleged border excesses, though accused BSF constable Amiya Ghosh was acquitted twice in internal trials due to insufficient evidence.
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Yet, in a stark irony underscoring the regime’s hypocrisy, Felani’s younger brother Arfan Hossain joined the BGB in September 2025—the very force tasked with guarding the same border. After passing rigorous recruitment exams under the Lalmonirhat Battalion (15 BGB), Arfan received his appointment letter on September 18 from Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Mehedi Imam. Arfan stated: “The nationwide protests after my sister’s murder inspired me to join BGB and serve the country—today my parents’ dream has come true.”
Their father Nur Islam, still haunted by the incident, expressed pride: “The countrymen and BGB stood by us…my son’s job on merit is my life’s greatest achievement.” The commander affirmed BGB’s vigilance to prevent such incidents, pledging support for the family.
This poignant family milestone—celebrated under the same interim administration—lays bare the Yunus-Jamaat clique’s shameless politicisation of Felani’s memory. While quietly facilitating Arfan’s honourable service in border security, the regime amplifies anti-India hysteria through road namings and protests, aligning with pro-Yunus militant groups campaigning for “jihad” against India and radical narratives stoking regional tensions.
Critics slam the Victory Day timing and Gulshan location as deliberate provocation amid escalating anti-India protests by regime supporters, including Jamaat radicals. This fits the broader “Pakistanization” pattern: cosying up to Islamabad via defense deals while demonising New Delhi to divert from domestic failures like delayed elections, minority attacks, and purges of pro-liberation voices.
Activists have condemned this treacherous stunt: Exploiting a grieving family’s tragedy for geopolitical vendetta—while their son defends the border—betrays Bangladesh’s dignity and the spirit of 1971 victory. True justice for Felani lies in bilateral dialogue and border management, not inflammatory gestures that endanger regional stability and honour neither the martyr nor her patriotic brother serving the nation.
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