| Indian BSF occupies vast land on Pratpur frontier in Sylhet Indian BSF troops on Tuesday suddenly massed in and occupied a vast tract of Bangladesh land on Pratpur frontier in Goainghat upazila, triggering tensions among people in the border area as they recalled a 2001 clash between the two forces.(UNB) Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) sources said the trespassing Indian border guards retreated in the face of strong position taken by the BDR jawans. According to BDR and local sources, a group of 70-80BSF members of Padua camp moved 300 meters into the Bangladesh territory at about 12 noon and entrenched their armed positions hoisting red flag. The Indian side claimed the ownership of 500 acres of land close to border pillars no 1270, 1271, 1272, 1273, said Pratapur BDR outpost commander Naik Subedar Joynul Ahmed. "BDR personnel staged instant protest, hoisted red flag and asked the BSF intruders to quit the land. But, the intruding BSF declined to leave the area. Consequently, BDR issued red alert hoisting the red flag," says a report from the area.People living in the frontier area said the BSF built up its strength after forcibly occupying the land. This created panic among the frontier people. BDR 21 Battalion Commander Lt Col Zahirul Alam said, "The BSF men had to retreat at about 1pm in the wake of tough position taken by the BDR and strong protests." Director General of BDR Maj General Mainul Islam told UNB that there have been some adverse possessions of land in India and Bangladesh since the Pakistan times. "Our position is to maintain our previous respective positions and the joint border working group will settle the matter," he said. A BDR-BSF skirmish was triggered by such possession of land in the same area by the Indian Border Security Force members in 2001, at the fag-end of the previous Awami League government's rule. In a chain action, a brief encounter occurred on the northern Burimari frontier in Lamonirhat district. An earlier UNB report from Sylhet published in The Bangladesh Today on August 9 said: "Tension was running high along Shreepur border point in Jointapur upazila as border guards of neighbouring India repeatedly walked into Bangladesh territories removing BDR's red flag. Sources said BDR have been put on high alert along the border and their presence reinforced to tackle any emergency situation. They said BSF troops frequently walked into Bangladesh territories through Amki and Mnatila border points for the last three days and were helping Indian Khasia community members capture disputed lands along the border, escalating tension in the area. Meanwhile, BDR troops hoisted red flags on the disputed lands and urged the BSF men not to cross the point, a request repeatedly ignored by the Indian border guards. The Indian border guards were also learned to have removed the red flags, prompting BDR to send a protest letter to them. BDR also asked their Indian counterpart to sit in a flag meeting to defuse the tension". |
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