Indian HC expresses concern

Terming the reports ‘inaccurate and sensational’, the high commission in a statement yesterday said the latest example of such reports was published in some papers on June 11 blaming the BSF for tension along Chuadanga border.

The high commission said the Indian authorities has investigated this incident and conveyed the following facts:

"At about 7:00pm on June 9, 2006, a BSF patrol party from border outpost Gede (across from Chaudanga in Bangladesh) detected some miscreants in Indian territory trying to illegally cross through the border fence near border pillar 75/2-S. On being challenged, these miscreants, instead of identifying themselves, attacked the BSF patrol party by flinging a sharp edged weapon."

"The BSF patrol party opened fire in self-defence, resulting in the killing of one of the miscreants. Subsequently, the BSF immediately came under heavy unprovoked fire from the BDR that continued intermittently until after midnight. Surprisingly, the BDR fired five high explosive bombs and nearly 6,000 rounds from a universal machine gun. After observing restraint for a long time, the BSF was forced to return fire," the statement said.

It also said the BSF later recovered the body of the dead miscreant and found that he was carrying 51 bottles of phensidyl and three kilograms of ganja (cannabis). The dead was identified as Md Yusuf, son of Md Isha Haque of village Akandberia in Chaudanga.

On June 11, a Commandant-level Flag Meeting was held where the Commandant, 35 Rifles Battalion of BDR, expressed his regret for the BDR firing, pleading that it had been due to a misunderstanding, the statement added.