Bastobota without reality chara

Over the years, there occurred mutual accusations of kidnapping, smuggling and firing leading to casualties in border areas between India and Bangladesh. At present, situation is somewhat normal compared to the volatile past. Border tension between the two countries is as old as independence of Bangladesh which came after nine months of bloody war with Pakistan. It is notable that India provided economic and military assistance to Bangladesh during the fight with well equipped Pakistani Army in 1971 but after-date, till now, high-handed activities at the common borders of Bangladesh-India remained a normal phenomenon; causing a lot of concern and fear among the people leaving in the border villages on both side.

Bangladesh and India share an extremely porous border. The border runs through jungles, hills, paddy and jute fields, high tide rivers; making it easy for villagers, criminals, guerrillas to cross over without objection from the border forces. Five Indian states shares boundary with Bangladesh, including four of India's most troubled northeast zone, where a number of guerrilla groups are fighting a war for their autonomy or independence. Indian government accused Bangladesh of nurturing the Maoist guerrillas who generally operates rebel movements in northern side and handed over a list of 176 camps of various insurgent groups including ULFA, National Liberation Front of Tripura, All Tripura Tiger Force and National Democratic Front of Bodoland; Bangladesh has been denying the allegation throughout. Bangladesh on the other hand claims that individual criminals and groups are taking shelter in Indian states, particularly West Bengal.

Representatives of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Border Security Force (BSF) frequently meet and discuss specific problems and commit themselves to resolution of the same but these commitments are too frequently dishonored which brings everything back to square one. Human Rights Watch reports suggest that Indian Boarder Security Force killed at least 479 Bangladeshis between October 10 of 2001 to October 27 2006. In the year 2003 alone, the BSF and the Indian miscreants were responsible for 43 deaths, 82 injuries, 21 arrests, 120 abductions, 7 missing, 2 rapes and 8 incidents of looting inside Bangladesh’s territory.

Tension mounted along the border areas of Panchagarh, Naogaon and Joypurhat districts from the early months of 2007 following exchange of heavy gunfire between ‘Border Security Force’ of India and ‘Bangladesh Rifles’. The BSF amassed a large number of troops and taken up position in bunkers with heavy weapons while the BDR men were also kept on high alert. Villagers on both sides of the border fled to safer places, as they feared the situation might escalate further. This aggression by BSF started after a dramatic political change in Bangladesh; a new group of people backed by the Army took office in 11 January 2007. It seems that the Indian government, being the regional big brother, is disappointed with the interim government of Bangladesh for not pushing on various issues such as allowing transit & port facilities and for not allowing the gas resources of Bangladesh to be used by India, among others.

Ice started melting between the countries during April this year, when Bangladesh took number of steps to show its interest in solving the border disputes and asked for investments by Indian conglomerates. This improved environment in the national level helped the two countries to solve border disputes of several areas. For example, in the bordering areas of Feni river, there eroded a 35 acres of land 32 years ago. This land was disputed due to absence of border pillars on the zero line which, at times, created a tense situation between people of the two countries. This issue was resolved by the joint survey teams of both the countries; the teams visiting Bangladesh portion of the area on May 6, 2007 and subsequently border areas in South Tripura in India on May 7. After the survey and the investigations, these 35 acres of land was given to Bangladesh.

Both sides also renewed the pact on inland water transit recently which will remain in force till March 2009; this pact will boost inland water trade between Kolkata-Pandu, Kolkata-Karimganj, Karimganj-Pandu and Rajshahi-Dhulln. India hopes that this Caretaker Government will allow the Chittagong port, which is just 75 km from Tripura's bordering subdivision Sabroom; to carry goods from Indian northeastern states for export purpose.

Any volatile situation in the border areas is highly undesirable and unfortunate between two otherwise friendly and neighboring countries. Diplomacy should be given the highest priority to achieve normalcy. India needs the cooperation of Bangladesh for peace on its own territories near the borders to counter insurgencies and a host of other problems. Bangladesh also has similar needs.

Never the less, both Bangladesh and India should have the mentality to abide the ‘International Border Act’.