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BDR, BSF trade heavy fire over fencing

2 Bangladeshis shot; tension in Kurigram over road building across Bangladeshi enclave

Staff Correspondent
After a few days’ lull, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) exchanged several thousands bullets in two skirmishes over construction of fences along the border at Singimari in Lalmonirhat and Ramgarh in Khagrachhari yesterday.
BSF members fired mortar shells on BDR during a two-hour firefight at Singimari, our Rangpur correspondent reports quoting BDR sources.
Two Bangladeshi nationals — Abdul Malek, 25, and his 5-year-old son Baku!, were hit with bullets during the fight at Lalmonirhat.
The fights, both at Singimari and Ramgarh, ensued when BSF members attempted to erect fences along the border 150 yards off the zero point, violating the IndoBangladesh Boundary Accord, 1974, commonly known as the Mujib-Indira treaty.
Meanwhile, three BSF troops intruded into Bangladesh territory at village Sarali of Sapahar upazila in Naogaon at about 12 noon yesterday during a patrol. Locals caught them and seized their firearms.
They were handed over to the BSF authorities in the evening, BDR sources said.
Apart from Lalmonirhat, Khagrachhari and Noagaon, tension has also been prevailing at Bhurungamari in Kurigram district over construction of a pucca road by BSF yesterday across Kachua, a Bangladeshi enclave.
A top official at the BDR head-quarters said BDR personnel have been kept on alert. They are patrolling the bordering areas round the clock.
He, however, said the fights ceased at both Singimari and Ramgarh until yesterday evening.
LALMONIRHAT
Our Lalmonirhat correspondent reports: BSF opened fire at about 3:15pm on BDR jawans when they opposed a BSF attempt to erect a fence along the Singimari border in Halibandha upazila.
During the two-hour gunfight that scared off the inhabitants of two villages, two Bangladeshi nationals were wounded.
UNB adds: Initial reports from the frontier in Hatibandha upazila said the BSF opened fire at about 3:15pm when BDR personnel opposed the attempt of fencing off the border.
BDR jawans retaliated under the command of 19 Battalion Commanding Officer Lt Col Ahad, the reports said.
In the first hour of firing until 4:15pm, the two sides traded some 3,000 rounds of shots, leaving a Bangladeshi peasant injured.
"Bangladeshi villagers fled homes from around the trouble spot at pillar No. 872 and took shelter in Hatibandha upazila headquarters," according to an initial report from the far-flung area.
On Monday, a BDR-BSF flag meeting decided that India would cease from constructing the barbed-wire fence until a DIGSector Commander level meeting set for March 17 takes a decision on the issue.
But since Tuesday, BSF men have piled up construction materials at the border and tried to start construction along the no man's land yesterday afternoon in transgression of the truce.
"BDR jawans first hoisted red flag opposing the BSF move and then green flag for flag meeting. But BSF ignored the signals and fired the first shot," says one account of the encounter.
The Indian border force has made a number of such fencing attempts at different points of the over 4000-km border between the
two countries in recent days, triggering a number of such skirmishes. RAMGARH
The BDR and BSF traded fresh gunfire for three hours at Ramgarh border in Khagrachhari after four days of lull since Friday last.
Sources in the BDR headquarters said the fight ensued when BSF was piling up materials to fence off the border at the noon.
Situation in Ramgarh has been tense since a meeting between BDR and BSF at Subrum in India ended inconclusively on Saturday.
However tension mounted again following the escalation of yesterday's gunfight.
BHURANGAMARI
Another UNB report said: Forcible attempt by BSF to construct a pucca road across Bangladesh enclave Kachua heightened the tension in Bhurungamari border yesterday.
The road on Indian side from Dighaltari BSF outpost to its sub-divisional town Dinhata passes one kilometre through the Kachua enclave.
Indians use to pass through the enclave without any hindrance. But BSF yesterday brought in construction materials to the enclave to make the road wide and pucca. The BSF members started the construction work ignoring BDR objection.
The intransigent attitude of BSF brought the situation to a state of confrontation. Both sides were seen massing troops and artilleries, heightening tension in the area.