[Assam] Bangladesh Army are getting ready to hoist the Bangladesh National Flag on Indian side of 220-acre Indian land

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

5 BDR men killed in BSF  counter-attack
  SILCHAR (Assam), Aug 11 – The BSF today claimed that it had shot dead five Bangladesh Rifles personnel after the latter fired mortars on Wednesday killing two women at an Assamese village on the Indo-Bangladesh border in Cachar district, reports PTI. BSF IG S K Dutta told PTI from Agartala, that five BDR personnel “reportedly died” in the retaliatory firing by the BSF. 

“The BDR is upto mischief after Wednesday’s incident and have reinforced troops and deployed the army according to inputs received,” Dutta said. 

“About 40 to 50 Bangladesh arymen in BDR uniform are patrolling the border and asking the villagers to vacate the area,” he said. 

“We are monitoring the situation. There has been no firing after Wednesday. But nothing can be taken for granted because trouble starts only at night,” he said.

Our Correspondents in Hailakandi/Badarpur add : Tension is still on in the Indo-Bangladesh border in both Cachar and Karimganj districts after the firing and shelling by mortars in the Katigorah sector on Wednesday night. More than 5,000 inhabitants in the bordering villages have been shifted to safer places. On the other hand, it is also reported that the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has also started the shifting of Bangla citizens from the bordering villages near Jalalpur border in Cachar district. A flag meeting has been convened between both the countries on August 13 next but the fate of the meeting in hanging in balance due to the prevailing situation in the border.

The Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev has expressed serious concern over the unprovoked firing of the BDR and has already met the BSF high officials and urged them to take the matter seriously.

The bodies of two Indian woman, Sabita Dey (30) and Santa Dey (20) were cremated last night after conducting postmortem in Silchar Medical College Hospital. Five more persons including a seven-year old boy is undergoing treatment in SMCH. Unconfirmed sources informed that five BDR jawans have also died due to BSF firing but no casualties of Bangladeshi civilians has been reported.

Many houses and trees have been damaged due to morter attack and firing in Harinagar, Borbond and Kinnarkhal village along the border. Bordering villages now look deserted as most of the dwellers have vacated their houses fearing attack by BDR. Those who are staying have dug holes to stay during the time of shelling by mortar and firing. Fear psychosis has gripped the villages along the border. BSF also suggested the villagers to shift to safer places. Following the report of shifting civilians in Bangladesh side, about 500 people in Jalalpur, Mahadevpur, Peernagar, Natanpur etc. villages have taken shelter in Digarkhal High School and Gumrah LP & ME School. Some NGO’s have started to provide food to the inmates of refugee camps. Katigorah MLA Ataur Rahman Majharbhuiya has visited some by the refugee camps and donated Rupees 1000 cash for purchasing food materials for the inmates. Cachar Deputy Commissioner Gautam Ganguli, SP Satyam Gogoi, DIG (Southern range) YV Gautam and
 other top officials have also visited today to take stock of the situation. The Cachar district administration has officially confirmed that the two relief camps have been opened in Siddeswar HS School, Katigorah and Janata High School.

Meanwhile, the Cachar district units of BJP and CPI(M) have strongly condemned the unprovoked firing by Bangladesh Rifles and demanded of the government early compensation for the next of kin of the border shelling victims.

The two parties also urged the MPs belonging to Assam to raise the issue of BDR firing in Parliament.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, a BSF high official said that BSF forces have been kept ready for giving a fitting reply to Bangladesh attack.

Confidential sources said, the Bangladesh nationals with the help of BDR and Bangladesh Army are getting ready to hoist the Bangladesh National Flag on August 15, in the disputed 220-acre plot of cultivable land belonging to India under Katigorah border of Cachar district. It has also been learnt that they will forcefully hoist the Bangladesh flag in that disputed place. In this connection, entire border areas of Barak valley have been alerted and army have also been alerted for helping BSF. Barak Valley administration is keeping a strict watch on the border situation. Second line of defence of police has also been highly alerted.
 		
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