The Hindu : Front Page : India seeks flag meeting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 21, 2005

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India seeks flag meeting

Sandeep Dikshit

BDR told that `unprovoked' firing to stop embankment work was `unacceptable'

NEW DELHI: Border Security Force (BSF) Director-General R.S. Mooshahary said on Saturday that Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) had been told that "unprovoked firing'' in an attempt to stop civil work on the Indian side of the border in Malda district of West Bengal was "unacceptable.'' India had proposed a flag meeting at the Deputy Inspector-General level on Sunday to sort out the matter but Bangladesh was yet to respond.

Mr. Mooshahary told The Hindu that BDR had targeted the same area for the second successive day in the forenoon. It made no further attempt to disrupt embankment work on the Mahananda river that had changed its course. Despite the firing by BDR troops in the morning, the BSF provided cover to the 50 labourers shoring up the embankment and there was no stoppage of work even when the firing was on.

"We have made it very clear that we will complete the work as it does not violate the agreement with Bangladesh prohibiting structures from coming up within a certain distance from the international border. The place where work is being done is beyond the requisite distance from the international border. But for some strange reason, the BDR is refusing to accept it.''

The BSF DG said that at the commandant-level meeting held earlier this week, the BDR was informed that the work on the embankment was temporary in nature and aimed at preventing Indian territory from getting flooded. He expressed the hope that the next meeting would make BDR see reason but in the event of this sort of firing continuing, "BSF had sufficient forces in the area.''

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