Underlying tensions continued to prevail in Sukdebpur village in Malda near the India-Bangladesh border on Sunday, a day after Indians here and Bangladeshis of villages in Chapai-Nawabganj district had a face-off.

On Sunday, Sukdebpur villagers in Kaliachak-III block of Malda said that the Border Security Force (BSF) should resume the installation of fences along an unfenced stretch of the border. Earlier, an initiative was taken to put up the fences, but it failed as the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) raised objections.

Some locals who were engaged in the fencing work alleged that the BGB personnel had threatened to open fire if they did not stop the work.

“We are feeling insecure and apprehend that Bangladeshis might attack us. The BSF should take the initiative to put up the fences. We are there to cooperate with the BSF,” said Manoj Mondal, a Sukdebpur resident.

On Saturday, over a hundred Indians assembled near an unfenced stretch of the border, alleging that Bangladeshi goons were walking into their agricultural land in such stretches and looting their crops ready for harvest.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) that guards the border did not prevent these trespassers, they said.

Such allegations prompted Bangladeshis to assemble on the other side. They moved closer to the border and tossed bricks and stones at Indians. At least two BSF personnel and four villagers got injured in the attack, said the villagers.

Eventually, the BSF and the BGB managed to push back the citizens of both countries to their villages.

Bikram Mondal, a youth who was hit by a brick on Saturday and later treated in a hospital, said that the BSF didn’t let them go near the international border on Sunday.

“They are patrolling in the area,” Mondal said.

“We do not have any intention of engaging with the Bangladeshis. But nowadays, they are looting our crops and have also stolen water pumps which we had kept in our field for irrigation. This is unacceptable,” Mondal added.

Sources in BSF said the situation in Sukdebpur was under control on Sunday.

“The BSF and BGB unit commandants of the area concerned are trying to establish better coordination between themselves to avoid incidents such as Saturday’s in the future,” said a source.

The Bangladeshi media reported that like India, Bangladeshi farmers who have land close to the Zero Line were not allowed to go to their fields on Sunday.

“The BGB has secured the border. A section of Bangladeshi farmers, however, have complained of crop damage,” said a source.

In Bangladesh, Lt. Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the adviser to the home affairs ministry of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, said the issue has been addressed.

“The BGB and BSF have handled the situation in Chapai-Nawabganj. Some people from both sides have been injured. But let us be clear that unlike earlier, when some leniency was shown on our part at the border, we will no longer be lenient but will act as per the law,” Chowdhury, talking to newspersons in Dhaka, was seen on Jamuna Television, a Bangladeshi channel, on Sunday.

“There are certain stretches where this dispute often happens… we hope it will be resolved during the DG (director general) level talks between BGB and BSF scheduled next month,” he added.