Bangladesh mutiny hits trade,movement across India-Bangla borders

The Agartala-Dhaka and Dhaka-Kolkata bus services have been suspended for an indefinite period, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) sources said here yesterday.

BRTC and its Indian counterparts in Tripura and West Bengal had been operating the bus services between the two countries.

The Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said the situation was a cause for concern for his state.

"The rebellion that broke out in the headquarters of the border guards of neighbouring Bangladesh is a matter of concern for the people of Tripura. However, our BSF is keeping a close vigil," Sarkar told reporters here.

Together with vehicular movement, trade activities have also stopped at Petrapole in West Bengal and Akhaura check post here, Indian customs officials said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of outposts along the Indo-Bangla border are on maximum alert to ensure safety and security of people living in the border areas, BSF spokesman A K Singh said.

Bangladesh armymen have been seen in areas like Netrakona, Mymensingh and other places bordering Meghalaya and Assam, said the official.

The BSF has observed that BDR personnel have apparently pulled out of regular patrol and surveillance activity. “Our personnel have not observed the routine patrolling parties of BDR nor the personnel since noon yesterday,” the official said.

But at Akhaura border in Agartala a platoon of BDR personnel carrying a blue flag approached the zero line, in an apparent indication that they wanted to speak to the BSF. Instead of the camp in-charge — who usually convenes the ‘flag meeting’ — it was the ordinary riflemen of the BDR, as army officers of all ranks had fled their posts. The BDR men were heavily armed, in uniform, but couldn’t be identified as they didn’t wear nametags.