BGB action unprovoked; did not fire a single bullet: BSF

The BSF on Friday said the Bangladeshi action of killing their trooper and injuring another along the border in West Bengal was unprovoked and that its troops did not fire "a single bullet" when a flag meeting took place between the two sides.

A senior official rejected the claim made by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that its patrol team "had to open firein self-defence amidgunfire by BSF men".

"Our men have not fired a single bullet. It was an unprovoked action by the BGB that killed the BSF jawan and injured other," the official said.

The BGB had said since the BSF personnel had intruded into Bangladesh's territory, they were told they would be handed over to authorities after the proposed meeting.

The situation created panic among Indian border guards, a late night statement issued on Thursday by BGB in Dhaka said.

"The BSF men then turned furious and opened gunfire and started going back to their (Indian) territory," the BGB alleged.

The BSF official countered this, saying the force party of 6 troops had entered 400 meters into the international border across the Padma river in Murshidabad district as that is the "designated place for flag meeting."
A senior BSF officer in Delhi said the troops "did not try to forcibly take away the lone fisherman from the custody of BGB as they had gone for flag meeting inside Bangladesh territory on getting a call from the BGB."
The BSF officer added that when there was a telephonic talk between the commanding officers of the two sides, post the incident on Thursday, the counterpart "did not say that BSF men had either violated the IB or entered inside Bangladesh territory."