NEW DELHI, 20 April — Exchange of fire between “friendly neighbors,” India and Bangladesh has stunned politicians and critics in India’s capital city. Latest reports indicate that firing from both sides has ceased. The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) have vacated the Pyrdiwah BSF observatory post on the international boundary in Meghalaya.

What actually led to this skirmish? According to a report from the Indian Home Ministry, the Bangladesh premier has blamed the local commanders. However, certain local commanders have a different story to tell. In an interview to a leading daily, Capt. Shahadat of Bangladesh Army said, “We were ordered by higher-ups to come and occupy this land, which rightfully belongs to Bangladesh.” He also said that the BSF outpost is on Bangladeshi soil.

Capt. Shahadat claims that BDR men entered Pyrdiwah on Sunday midnight taking the BSF men by surprise. Firing began on Sunday itself. The BDR men gave the impression that they were going to stay put there and would not move till orders came from Dhaka.

Not surprisingly, even before the Indian government and media fully understood the situation, the Bangladesh press played up the “victory” of BDR against Indian forces. The New Nation and The Daily Star quoted Maj. Gen. Fazlur Rahman, director general of BDR as saying, “We have just completed a mission to restore our territory and integrity.” Headlines in The Daily Star read, “22R reclaims Padua (this is what Pyrdiwah is called by Bangladeshis.)

V. S. Ahlawat, DIG BSF concedes that the BSF Pyrdiwah post is indeed situated on the Bangladesh side of the border. This has been the case since partition. In 1960, agreement was reached between East Pakistan Rifles and Indian Army Brigade to maintain status quo there. Since the formation of Bangladesh, BDR has been claiming this land — 325 acres — and demanding that India vacate it. But this is the first time Bangladesh had tried to take it by force.

The general opinion in India is that the border tension was whipped up by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed as a political gimmick. With national polls due in the coming month, the opposition wants her to resign and transfer power to a caretaker government for holding the elections. The opposition has portrayed Sheikh Hasina as pro-India. Perhaps, this “skirmish” was her way of settling scores with the opposition.