Tension on Sylhet border: BSF removes one of three bunkers built on no man’s land

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has removed one of its three visible bunkers set up unlawfully on no man's land in Sylhet's Gojukata border, under Beanibazar upazila, after a flag meeting with Border Guard Bangladesh held yesterday afternoon.

There is also notable progress over the matter of reconstruction of the centuries old mosque at the edge of the border, said Lt Col Shah Alam Siddiqui, commanding officer of 52 BGB Battalion.

"More flag meetings will take place soon to resolve the issues," he said.

Yesterday's flag meeting was held at Sutarkandi ICP in the upazila. The Indian side was led by BSF Battalion-7's commander Lt Col BS Minhaj while the BGB team was led by Lt Col Shah Alam Siddiqui.

However, no specific decisions were made over the issues in the meeting, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

On Monday, BSF stopped the reconstruction work entering Bangladesh territory and then unlawfully set up bunkers 150 metres inside the no man's land, which is strictly prohibited under the accord made in 1975, the BGB commanding officer said yesterday.

"In response, we also deployed forces at the border," he said.

The mosque is inside Bangladesh territory but its right by the border. The need for its reconstruction was evident, said Abdul Salam, chairman of Dubag union in the upazila.

"At a flag meeting last year, the matter was discussed and the then BSF Commanding Officer cleared the way for construction and it was progressing normally. But the previous CO has been transferred, and the new CO stopped the construction work," he said.

Locals in the bordering area are safe, the chairman said.