KOLKATA, Aug 21: Indian and Bangladesh border guards agreed on Sunday to keep a ceasefire in place after earlier gunbattles reportedly injured two children. The ceasefire extension from Saturday followed three hours of talks between India’s Border Security Force and the Bangladesh Rifles near the scene of the clash, 500 kilometres north of Kolkata in West Bengal.
The cross-fire which began early Friday was sparked by a row over Indian repairs to the banks of the Mahananda River, which marks a small part of the border.
Thousands of people living in 13 villages along the border had to be evacuated during the firing.
“We are happy that the talks between the two sides have been successful,” said Umed Ali from Adampur village.
“Bullets were flying across the river and two children were injured. We spent two sleepless nights in the mango orchards,” he said.
The Border Security Force’s deputy inspector general, Sameer Mitra, said Bangladesh had agreed to an Indian proposal to reinforce the bank of the Mahananda river with sandbags.
The two sides signed an accord in 1974 to maintain the banks of 50 rivers through which the border runs.
But there has been a dispute over maintenance of the Mahananda River, with each side accusing the other of violating the treaty by carrying out work too close to the “zero line” marking the actual frontier.—AFP
