Kolkata, August 21
Indian and Bangladeshi border guards today agreed to observe a ceasefire in the Adampur and Muchia areas along the Indo-Bangla
border in West Bengal’s Malda district after exchanging fire for the last two days, injuring two persons.The decision was taken at a flag meeting of top officials of the Border Security Force and Bangladesh Rifles held in Malda to resolve the standoff, which started on Friday after the BDR opened unprovoked fire towards India.
“Things are amicably resolved,” a report from Malda quoted BSF DIG (South Bengal), who led the Indian side at the meeting, as saying.
The BDR side was led by its commander Rejanur Rahaman.
“It has been decided at the flag meeting that the BSF and the BDR will not fire at each other,” BSF DIG S K Mitra told PTI here.
The meeting, which began at around 9 a.m., at Hemua village under Muchia border outpost in Malda district lasted for about two hours.
Mitra said the situation in the area was now peaceful.
While anti-erosion work on the Indian side would continue, it would remain suspended for the time being on the Bangladesh side, he said, adding the Indo-Bangla Joint River Commission would work out a permanent solution later.
It was agreed that the anti-erosion work on the Indian side of the Mahananda River would continue as it was beyond 150 yards from the zero point of the international border.
The trouble started when the BDR unprovoked opened fire at BSF to prevent the anti-erosion work on the riverbank. The erosion had endangered a BSF border outpost in the area.
Panicky villagers who were shifted to safer places by the BSF following the exchange of fire, were now returning to their homes, the Malda police said.
Two Indian villagers were injured in the firing from across the India-Bangladesh border at Raipur in Malda district yesterday.
— PTI
