A group of Indian Khasia (indigenous people) intruded into Bangladesh territory on 10 boats and caught fish from the Dibir haor on Jaintapur borders under the protection of the Indian Border Security Force yesterday.

Showing utmost restraint BDR posted red flags in the area, but the intruders continued fishing inside the Bangladesh territory till late in the afternoon.

BSF also did not respond to a BDR call for a flag meeting on the issue.

Besides, the Indian BSF intruded into Bangladesh territory near Padua and Amswapnapur borders yesterday and returned back after some time, sources said.

The incidents of intrusion took place at a time when the BDR chief is leading a 19-member high-level delegation to Indian capital for a summit-level meeting of the border forces.

Major Abdullah Al Mamun, second in command of the 21 Battalion of BDR, Sylhet, told about 50 to 60 BSF men intruded into Bangladesh territory through Padua border around noon. However, they went back after some time.

Similarly, a group of BSF intruded into Bangladesh territory through Amswapnapur village near Tamabil borders at the same time, he said.

Around 30 Indian nationals on 10 boats intruded into Bangladesh territory of Dibir haor near sub pillar-2 of the border pillar-1284 under BSF protection around 12:00 noon and went back after fishing with “current nets” at about 5:00pm, he added.

Amid the tense situation prevailing in Jaintapur border for weeks, the BDR chief visited Sylhet on March 2. He visited the troubled border areas including the adjacent Sripur, Naljur, Tamabil and Padua borders.

The Indians earlier attempted to catch fish in the Dibir haor and Kendri Beel several times, but failed due to resistance from the Bangladeshi civilians as well as by the BDR during the last one month.

On February 23, the villagers of Dibir haor and Kendri chased some 200 inhabitants of Indian village Muktapur, who had attempted to catch fish in the same swamp.

The Indians pumped out water from a part of the swamp defying the BDR on the same day. BDR and BSF traded over 500 gunshots on 27 February on the same border.