Bangladesh, India trade fire across border
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-26 14:40

Bangladesh and India exchanged gun fire with Dhaka accusing its neighbour of "indiscriminate" firing across the border, the official BSS news agency said.

Dhaka said Bangladesh retaliated after India's Border Security Force (BSF) fired machine guns and heavy artillery, the BSS report said on Friday.

Bangladesh and India have exchanged gun fire, with Dhaka accusing its neighbour of 'indiscriminate' firing across the border. [AFP/File]

The shooting occurred after workers from Bangladesh's Water Development Board began flood control work on a river bank on the Bangladeshi side of the border in northwestern Panchagarh district, around 350 kilometres (217 miles) from the capital Dhaka, the report said.

The district borders the northeastern Indian state of West Bengal.

The report said Indian border patrol soldiers crossed into Bangladeshi territory and ordered the water board workers to stop work at gunpoint.

"As the works were being done legally, as per the Indo-Bangla Joint Border Guideline of 1975, the workers refused to withdraw. At this stage, the BSF troops started indiscriminate firing at the workers," BSS said.

Bangladesh responded and fire was traded for around 15 minutes.

"The BSF then started mobilising ... with heavy weapons creating a very tense situation," BSS said.

Bangladesh and India often exchange fire across their border.

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