The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has restarted road construction work at the Phulbari border in Kurigram. This has again created tension in the border area.
A flag meeting at the battalion commander level between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the BSF is scheduled to be held on Monday to discuss the situation.
Earlier, tension developed over the construction of a paved road by the BSF at the Khalishakotal border area of Phulbari upazila, which Bangladesh says violates international law. The BGB raised objections several times through flag meetings.
Last Friday (January 9), during the third flag meeting at the company commander level of the BGB and BSF, the BSF temporarily stopped the road construction after strong objections from the BGB. After that, the border situation became normal, and patrols by border forces of both countries were increased.
However, on Sunday (January 11), the BSF resumed the road construction work. Local people alleged that soil filling work was carried out from morning to afternoon using several vehicles.
Residents of the Khalishakotal border area Ayub Ali, Mujibur Rahman, and Nifu Mia said that after holding flag meetings over the road construction for the last three or four days, the BSF had stopped the work. But from Sunday morning to afternoon, the BSF again started filling soil on the road. They believe this work began before any final decision was made at the company commander-level meeting of the two countries.
BGB sources said the location for Monday's battalion-level flag meeting was fixed at around 10:30 am on Sunday. The meeting will be held near the first sub-pillar of international border pillar number 934.
According to BGB information, there is a main road in the Korla area under Sahebganj police station in India's Cooch Behar district. The road stretches for about one kilometer, from the first sub-pillar to the 11th sub-pillar of international pillar number 934. At different points, the road is located 50 to 120 yards from the zero line. Under international border law, no paved construction is allowed within 150 yards of the zero line on either side. It is alleged that the BSF started the road construction in violation of this rule.
Due to this incident, tension spread in the border area. At one point, local people stood beside the BGB holding sticks.
Regarding the issue, Lalmonirhat-15 BGB Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Mehedi Imam said, "Whenever the BSF talked to us about this, they repeatedly said that they only filled some soil because the paved road was broken."
