DHAKA, 29 June 2005 — The Bangladesh yesterday dismissed India’s allegation that a Bangladesh Army helicopter twice violated Indian air space.
“The report is not based on fact. No helicopter of the Bangladesh Army entered the Indian territory on Sunday or April 22,” army spokesman Lt. Col. Nazrul Islam, also Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) director, said.
He said the army had checked the veracity of the claim and found it to be false.
The Indian media had quoted S.K. Dutta, a Border Security Force (BSF) official in Tripura, saying that a Bangladesh Army helicopter had “violated” Indian air space in the Sabroom sub-division of South Tripura district Sunday.
“The Bangladesh Army helicopter entered the Indian territory over the Chhotakhil border outpost in South Tripura district yesterday (Sunday),” Dutta was quoted as saying.
A Bangladesh Army helicopter was also reported to have violated the Indian airspace on April 22, when there was exchange of fire between BSF and BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) at the areas in the Kathalchhari border outpost.
Indian and Bangladeshi officials met recently in New Delhi and agreed to several measures aimed at easing tensions along their border, which is the scene of frequent bloody clashes between security forces of the two countries.
The two sides decided to restart meetings of a boundary working group and increase joint patrolling of waterways along the border.
India and Bangladesh share a 4,000-km border of which only 20 percent is fenced.
Bangladesh accuses BSF of trying to push Bengali-speaking Indian Muslims into Bangladesh.
India, however, says it is repatriating illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. It estimates that there are around three million illegal Bangladeshis in the country.
India also alleges that top rebel leaders from insurgent groups in its northeast are holed up in Bangladesh. The charge is denied by Dhaka which says that Bangladeshi criminals are also in hiding in India.
