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BSF-BDR firing on border |
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The Bangladesh Rifles [BDR] fired at three Indian border outposts and killed two women and injured five others last week. About four thousand people fled from their homes in Cachar district of Assam on August 10, BSF sources said. The Border Security Forces [BSF] retaliated and the firing continued the next day caused some casualties on the Bangladesh side as well.
Giving this information, BSF’s Cachar sector DIG Ashwani Kumar Singh said BDR troops started unprovoked firing from Barathakoria and Kazipara villages of Sylhet sector in Bangladesh, first targeting the Harinagar post with mortar and heavy machineguns. The BSF lodged a strong protest with the BDR over firing.
Tension has been running high in this sector of international border since June last year after the BSF prevented Bangladeshi farmers from cultivating in 220 acres of Indian land on the other side of the Surma river without any bloodshed. The stretch of land is in “advanced possession” of Bangladesh and the BDR allegedly encourages cultivation on the plot much to the chagrin of the BSF. The BSF, noticing Bangladesh villagers were busy cultivating paddy on the same land on the night of June 23 this year, destroyed the cultivation and chased away the farmers. Earlier, the BDR opened fire on BSF posts at Harinagar and Kinnokhal on June 28 last that caused a flag meeting between the BSF and the BDR on July 5. The BDR was told not to encourage farmers to cultivate on that plot.
Meanwhile, following in the footsteps of Pakistan, Bangladesh has announced a ban on 13 Indian TV channels. On July 29, Bangladesh took all cable TV channels off the air. After much negotiations, they restored all except 13 Indian channels.
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