Tensions along Bangladesh borders with India erupted afresh due to a sudden rise in border killings by the Indian Border Security Force, pushing people into Bangladesh from India, the newly elected West Bengal government’s allocation of land for border fencing, and the Border Guard Bangladesh retaliation for BSF firing.

In two developments in Lalmonirhat district on Friday, BGB members opened two rounds of blank fires at Indian smugglers at Lalmonirhat border in the early hours while the BSF moved in the morning to install bamboo poles in the no-man’s land along Patgram border with India.

The BGB in two press releases on Friday said that the paramilitary force was now on the highest alert along borders in Lalmonirhat district along with the local people over the two incidents.

Earlier, on May 18, the BSF fired a shot towards Bangladesh territory across  Sonarhat border area under Gowainghat upazila in Sylhet, prompting the BGB to fire two shots instantly in protest against the BSF firing.

New Age correspondent in Lalmonirhat, meanwhile, quoting BGB officials, reported that the BGB opened two rounds of blank shots to smugglers along Indian border at West Gazipara under Patgram upazila in the district at about 2:20am on Friday.

BGB-51 Battalion in Rangpur commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Naziur Rahman said that smugglers were trying to enter Bangladesh crossing over the Indian barbed wire fence.

He also said that he had inspected the scene after the incident.

The BGB in a release said that it had foiled a BSF bid to install poles within the 150 yards of the no-man’s land at Kalshirmukh border under Kuchlibari union of Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat in violation of the international border laws.

The BGB said that its strong protest and objection forced the BSF to backtrack on its move to install pillars in the no-man’s land.

No casualties were reported in the incident. The BGB is on high alert along the border to prevent infiltration, says Lalmonirhat  BGB-15 commander Lt Col Mehdi Imam.

The incident took place at around 3:20 pm on Friday in Pashchim Giarpara area bordering Patgram upazila of the district.

At least seven Bangladeshis were killed in BSF firing and torture of whom three were killed in May, two in April, one each in March and January while no death was reported in February, according to rights group Ain o Salish Kendra data.

The data show a rising trend of border killings in April and May compared to the past three months.

According to Bangladesh authorities, Bangladesh shares 4,156 kilometres of border with India, of which some 180 kilometres fall on different water bodies and 79 kilometres on the Sundarbans.

India’s West Bengal government on Wednesday handed over an initial 75 acres of land to the BSF to build the fencing of 27 kilometres of the international border between India and Bangladesh, reported The Times of India on Thursday.

West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had earlier promised to start the land handover process after the BJP government assumed office, said that the completion of the critical, long-pending fencing along the India-Bangladesh border would be crucial to national security, added the report available online.

Of the land, 43 acres were directly purchased, while 32 acres were vested property.