Tension still prevails among the villagers near Patgram border in Lalmonirhat following Wednesday's seven-hour skirmishes between Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) that killed one Bangladeshi citizen and injured four others.

The BDR and BSF at a sector commander level meeting yesterday at Patgram agreed to a ceasefire. The two border forces however blamed each other for opening fire first.

Meanwhile, the BDR and BSF exchanged shots at the Banglabandha border in Panchagarh yesterday but no casualty was reported.

Sources said BSF at the sector commander level meeting agreed to stop building a camp within 150 yards of the border that sparked Wednesday's gun battle. The Indian border guards attempted to set up the camp at GK Bari near Patgram border.

After Wednesday's gunfight,

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BSF increased its strength at GK Bari. BDR also increased their strength at nearby Kuchlibari camp. In the sector commander level meeting both sides agreed to withdraw additional forces from their camps, sources said.

A delegation headed by BDR commander of Rangpur Sector attended the meeting.

BANGLABANDHA GUNFIGHT

BDR sources said the gunfight at Banglabandha was prompted by BSF as they opened fire on Bangladeshi workers collecting stones from Mahananda river at about 10:00am yesterday.

The BDR members from Banglabandha camp rushed to the scene and returned fire. The gunfight continued until noon and no casualty was reported, BDR sources in Dhaka said.

BDNEWS said both BDR and BSF reinforced their troops along the Banglabandha border following the gun battle, which escalated tension in the area.

Meanwhile, BDR Tetulia company authorities sent a letter to their Indian counterpart protesting the firing by BSF and inviting them to a flag meeting. The BSF was yet to reply.

Earlier on Wednesday, 8-10 armed BSF jawans of Nabayan Jote camp walked into the Bangladesh territory of Tetulia upazila and threatened the residents.