BDR fired in self-defence: Bangla Foreign Secy

DHAKA, APRIL 23. A day after the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, spoke to her Indian counterpart, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, Bangladesh today sought to give a new twist to the killing of BSF soldiers, claiming the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) ``had to open fire in self-defence'' since they were ``under attack''.

The Foreign Secretary, Syed Muazeem Ali, who briefed the press on a telephonic talk between the two Prime Ministers, made no mention of Ms. Hasina having made any direct expression of regrets for the torture and killings of the BSF personnel.

A carefully-worded statement read out by Mr. Ali said the Bangladesh Prime Minister expressed her deep shock and grief at the unnecessary and avoidable loss of lives ``on both the sides''.

Assuring Mr. Vajpayee that necessary investigation would be done to ascertain the ``correct position'', Ms. Hasina ``requested the Indian Prime Minister also to investigate and to find out the detailed position'' about the incident in Boraibari along the Assam border.

Referring to the incident in Pyrdiwah village in Meghalaya, the statement said Ms. Hasina told Mr. Vajpayee the ``BDR troops had encircled the BSF camp when the latter was trying to construct a pucca road connecting the BSF camp with the Indian territories. There was no casualty or injury''.

She said ``but the second incident in Roumari (Boraibari) resulted in casualties when the BDR troops were under attack and had to open fire in self-defence''.

On the outrage and shock over the torture of the BSF soldiers and the defilement of their bodies, the statement merely says Mr. Vajpayee ``also referred to their views expressed earlier, on the treatment meted out to the dead bodies of the BSF personnel''.

The foreign secretary said Ms. Hasina had emphasised that the recent border incident had once again highlighted the urgent need to complete the ``unfinished tasks'' of full implementation of the Indira-Mujib accord of 1974, which she believed would help both sides avoid recurrence of such incidents.

Mr. Ali said the two leaders agreed that as per the last senior official level meeting, two task forces would be constituted soon to expedite the process of implementation and that both sides would proceed in the matter in a spirit of friendship and cooperation.

Ms. Hasina also used the occasion to observe that Indo-Bangladesh relations were time-tested and that such border incidents would not change the nature of thrust of friendly ties.

In this context, she recalled that Bangladeshi and Indian troops had fought side by side during the Bangladesh Independence war.

During the 30-minute conversation, Ms. Hasina informed Mr. Vajpayee that as soon as she heard the news about the border incidents, she had asked all authorities concerned to defuse the situation and to de-escalate tension.

Ms. Hasina said she was happy to note that ``the Indian Government, under the leadership of Mr. Vajpayee, responded in the same spirit and understanding, and as a result, it was possible to defuse the situation within the shortest possible time''.

The foreign ministers and the border security agencies of the two countries were in constant touch now, she said.

The two leaders maintained that the existing ``exemplary friendly and cordial ties between the two countries would be maintained and further strengthened and that both sides would take all necessary measures so that such incidents do not recur in future''.

- PTI

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