Tension prevailed on the India-Bangladesh border on Saturday following an altercation between farmers of the two countries near the Border Security Force (BSF) border post. Central paramilitary force gave this information.
The BSF and its Bangladeshi counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) immediately intervened and soon brought the situation under control, the force said in a statement.
According to the BSF, the incident occurred around 11:45 am when Indian farmers working near the international border accused Bangladeshi farmers of stealing their crops.
He said the altercation soon turned violent and farmers from both sides gathered in large numbers, started abusing each other and pelting stones at each other.
“BSF and BGB personnel made timely intervention and brought the situation under control immediately,” BSF said in a statement. Farmers from both sides were dispersed and sent back to their respective areas. There is no report of anyone being injured in the incident.
The BSF stressed on avoiding such disputes and advised Indian farmers to report any agriculture-related problems at the border directly to the force personnel.
“We have requested Indian farmers to maintain peace and avoid getting involved in border disputes,” the statement said. Necessary steps will be taken in case of any complaint.
BGB across the border also played an important role in controlling the situation. By late afternoon, some Bangladeshi nationals were seen within 50-75 meters of the International Border, but according to reports, BGB personnel stopped them, which did not worsen the situation.
According to the statement, BSF and BGB commandants deployed in the area are working to increase coordination to avoid such incidents in future.