Bangladesh Border Guards Fighting For Pay, Benefits

Casualties in the war against poverty

When people perform services for an employer, the common expectation is that they will be compensated for their work in the form of salary.  As economic skies turn dark across the world, the need for sufficient wages in order to live and support families becomes all the more important.

This is as true in impoverished Bangladesh as it is anywhere else, and this is why border guards have revolted against their government employers. Unfortunately, their standoff has led to the loss of at least 11 lives. That doesn’t count scores of others who have died in previous skirmishes.

Tanks end protest over low pay

The standoff may be over now, fortunately. Parveen Ahmed reports for the Associated Press that a show of arms – tanks – have “persuaded” border guards to end a two-day revolt and lay down their arms. In turn, the government has promised amnesty and claims they will “look into” their demands.

“We don’t want to use force to break the standoff,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed said. “But don’t play with our patience. We will not hesitate to do whatever is needed to end the violence if peaceful means fails.”

When the last straw is drawn

Border guards had been frustrated with pay that was not in line with what Bangladesh had paid members of its army. As food prices began to rise, the border guards’ situation became increasingly desperate. Rubbing salt in the wound, the government began to appoint army officers to head the border guards. On the international scene, border guards are also not allowed to work with U.N. peacekeeping forces, a job detail that would mean significantly more money for the guards and their families.

In a country like Bangladesh where military coups and political assassinations are distressingly common, the volatility of everyday life is palpable. Extreme poverty that leads to desperation and violence is a tragic byproduct of the times in which the border guards and most everyone else there live.