Farmers on Sunday returned to their crop fields along the Chowka border at Shibganj in Chapainawabganj amid a tensed situation prevailing there following a clash between villagers of Bangladesh and India over cutting crops on the no man鈥檚 land Saturday morning.
Saturday鈥檚 clash on the no man鈥檚 land along the Chowka border left three people injured, causing fresh tensions along the border.
鈥楩ollowing the flag meeting between Indian Border Security Force and Bangladesh Border Guard, some villagers went to their crop fields to do their usual farm work,鈥� said local union parishad member Kamal Uddin on Sunday.
He said that a tensed situation among the villagers was still prevailing following Saturday鈥檚 clash.
After visiting Chowka border, BGB 59th battalion (Rohanpur) commander Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria told reporters that the situation on the Chowka border was normal and they were conducting their regular patrolling.
He also urged Bangladeshi villagers not to cross the border as 鈥榠t may cause any untoward situation along the border鈥�.
Stating that they issued a protest note to the BSF, Kibria said that the BGB headquarters were taking necessary steps over Saturday鈥檚 incident.
鈥楢t present, our main responsibility is to calm the situation so that none can take any opportunity of Saturday鈥檚 incident,鈥� he added.
Nayan Mia, Shibganj upazila agriculture officer, said that once the situation calmed down, they would assess the damage to the crops in the fields and would take steps to provide incentives to the affected farmers.
鈥楧uring Saturday鈥檚 chaos on the border, a large number of curious people visited the area, damaging crops like maize, wheat, mustard and onions,鈥� he added.
Earlier on January 8, tension erupted along Chowka border at Shibganj in Chapainawabganj after the BSF had begun constructing fences along the border despite repeated objections from the BGB.
According to the international law, no permanent structures or fences, except for agricultural activities, can be placed within 150 yards of the border pillars of either country.
Tensions on the Bangladesh-India border have continued since late December 2024 as the Border Guard Bangladesh and local people protested against India鈥檚 move to construct barbed wire fences at five points along the border in Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Lalmonirhat.
On January 12, the foreign ministry summoned the Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, and expressed concern over the construction of barbed wire fences and protested at the recent killing of a Bangladeshi national by the BSF on the border.