Shillong, July 04: The BSF and its Bangladesh
counterpart on Saturday agreed to maintain status quo on disputed
area in Meghalaya, and decided to form a panel of experts to
examine the situation.
The decision was taken at commandant-level meeting
between the two border guarding forces, held near Dawki in
Meghalaya's jaintia Hills district, capping a week long
tension that erupted after an alleged encroachment by
Bangladeshis.
BSF sources said that on Friday last around 200
Bangladeshis, backed by the BDR, trespassed and entered
Nongkhen, areas of around 230 acres which is under "adverse
possession" of India.
BSF intercepted the encroachers and chased them away,
erecting a temporary fence around the disputed tract. The BSF
and BDR had held a flag meeting the next day, but the meeting
bad reportedly failed to make any breakthrough.
A simmering tension prevailed in the area, with BDR
reinforcing their troops on the other side of the fence and
the BSF putting its men on alert.
During today's meeting both the forces laid their
respective claims on the area. "A panel consisting of survey
authorities of both the countries would be formed shortly to
examine the matter and resolve it,'' a BSF official said
after the meeting.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, July 04, 2009, 23:24