A commander level flag meeting between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Border Security Force (BSF) of India scheduled for yesterday at Benapole did not take place with the Indian side saying, "The company commander of the BSF was busy with another business."

Earlier on Friday, the two sides had decided to hold the flag meeting as the BSF continued its attempts to push Bangla-speaking Indian nationals into Bangladesh.

The Indian border guards also claimed yesterday that Bangladesh had pushed in some of its nationals into Kuchbihar in India, BBC said last night.

They also claimed that a flag meeting between the two sides was held at Mathabhanga in Kuchbihar, but the Bangladeshi side did not confirm it.

Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reported that the BDR foiled push-in attempts at several border points in Lalmonirhat yesterday.

The BSF made the attempts at Nazir Gomani border points in Patgram upazila, about 85 kilometre from the district headquarters. This led to mounting tension in the area and local people started fleeing their houses for safety.

Nearly 200 people including women and children were trapped in the no-man's land, guarded by the BSF, at Lalmonirhat border. The BDR along with the VDP (Village Defence Party) was on high alert there.

Our Kushtia correspondent reported that the BDR foiled several attempts to push into Bangladesh some 70 Bangla-speaking Indian nationals through at least three border points in Kushtia and Meherpur.