Indo-Bangladesh Border Conflict of 2001

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Indo-Bangladesh Conflict of 2001

Date	April 18, 2001 - May 31, 2001
Location	India-Bangladesh Border
Result	Status quo ante bellum
Casus belli	Claims of intrusion of troops on both sides.

Combatants

118 BSF Bn ^[1]

Bangladesh Rifles

Casualties

16 killed according to Bangladesh, 15 killed according to India ^[2]^[3]

2 killed according to both sides^[4]

The Indo-Bangladesh Conflict of 2001 was a short conflict between Border guards of India and Bangladesh over the poorly marked border during 2001. Though there had been previous incidents of border violations, this one was bigger than them.

1 Cause
2 Result
3 Aftermath
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] Cause

The border of India and Bangladesh was one of a number of disputes that arose as a result of the Partition of India. The Partition of India had left a poorly demarcated international border between the two neighbours. The ownership of several villages on both sides of the border are disputed and claimed by both countries.

According to the Bangladesh government, ever since the liberation of Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) by Indian forces in 1971, Indian forces have occupied a small sliver of land along their border near the village of Pyrdiwah. On April 18, troops of the Bangladeshi Rifles (border troops) occupied the disputed village. In the fighting that followed, Bangladesh claims that 15 members of India's border forces, the Border Security Force (BSF) were killed, along with several of the attacking soldiers. However, India claims a far lower death toll^[4].

Indian sources reported that this followed a weekend incident in which 20 Indian troops were taken hostage when Bangladesh seized a frontier outpost in the village of Pyrdiwah. Bangladesh also claimed the village as within its territory^[5].

Indian forces eventually responded and retook the village. Between 10,000 and 20,000 villagers living in the area fled the fighting, with at least 17 suffering wounds. The combat remained limited to the border troops of the respective nations, though mortars were used in addition to automatic weapons fire. Several villages were destroyed or heavily damaged in the fighting. The quick intervention of Indian and Bangladesh governments intervened and defused the tension. Further the Indian and Bangladeshi government started the border talks in March 2002 to solve the border problem.^[6].

India claims that Bangladeshi troops overran and occupied a disputed border village near the town of Dauki, and that Bangladeshi troops are holding more than 20 of its soldiers hostage^[4].

Top Indian border security sources claimed that the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel had retreated in Meghalaya sector, while in Assam sector, the Indian border security forces men had vacated positions seized from Bangladesh. ^[7].

Bangladesh insists that Indian forces launched an early morning attack on their posts in the frontier district of Kurigram - which lies on the border with Indian state of Assam, On the morning of Wednesday 18 April 2001^[4].

Fresh clashes erupted along the India-Bangladesh border, just hours after both side voiced regret for the recent killings, though by midnight of April 20 firing had again fallen silent. The article also revised upwards the number of Indian civilians who fled the region to 6,000, and stated that Indian government officials were attempting to convince villagers to return to their homes^[5].

[edit] Result

India accused Bangladesh of having violating a war crimes statute in the Geneva Convention^[8].Armed with their taking of the village, Bangladesh Military further strengthened its fortifications along the border by calling 20,000 additional troops to its border with India, However Bangladesh maintains that these movements were 'routine'^[8].

The Indian BSF agreed to take back bodies of five of its soldiers at Rowmari sector, Whilst the other 11 were still 'missing'. Bangladesh later agreed to return the dead Indian soldiers the next day.^[7].The Bangladeshi side also had asked the BSF to furnish proof that the land they had occupied was part of India^[7].

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Raminder Jassal reported that both India and Bangladesh expressed regret over the incident and promised to exercise restraint in the future^[5].

The two countries realizing that they were unable to make further gains agreed to form two joint working groups to resolve all outstanding border issues.

[edit] Aftermath

Several of the Indian dead appeared to have suffered brutal, non-combat deaths, which were blamed on mob violence perpetuated by Bangladesh civilians. The governments of both nations worked quickly to defuse the tension and end the fighting ^[6].

The subsequent end of the short conflict saw an upsurge of Bangladeshi nationalism in Bangladesh.^[6]. The Four-party right wing alliance led by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh won a majority 196 seats out of 300.^[9] The Bangladeshi actions in the conflict is also commemorated by its armed forces yearly. ^[10]. This led to some of the worst persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh in recent history. A US-based human rights organisation, Refugees International, has claimed that religious minorities, especially Hindus, currently face heavy discrimination in Bangladesh.^[11] The government of Bangladesh, a nationalist party openly called for ‘Talibanisation’ of the state^[12] ^[13]^[14].The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh subsequent to the conflict has been regarded accordingly.^[15]

The relations between the two neighbours saw increased difficulties, This was the first conflict between India and Bangladesh, two traditionally friendly nations since Bengali independence. ^[16]Officially Bangladesh blamed the fighting on "adventurism of its local commanders" and denied it had initiated hostilities^[7].

Despite its claims Bangladesh ordered no court martial, or any suspension, nor any transfer of any local commanders.^[15]. Both sides desisted for any further hostilities and began border talks to discuss disputes along their four-thousand-kilometre border.^[17]

India later began constructing a fence along its entire lenghth on the internationalized demarcated border with Bangladesh.^[18]