kodalia-river-dispute-strains-india-bangladesh-relations

The strain in the diplomatic relation between India and Bangladesh escalated after a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) commanding officer claimed to have established control over the nearly five-km stretch of Kodalia river in Maheshpur upazila in Jhenaidah district, which was occupied by the Border Security Force (BSF).

 

The BSF, however, refused the claim and said a protest letter has been sent to the BGB.

 

The BSF also informed the Union government about the BGB’s claim.

 

 

In an interview to a Bangladesh-based media, which is shared on social media platforms, a BGB’s commanding officer of Lieutenant Colonel rank in uniform, is seen giving a statement claiming to take control over the stretch from the BSF.

 

“The river you can see is known as Kotla river locally. Officially, we know it as the Kotalia river. Earlier, if a Bangladeshi national would come close to the river or try to get down to its water, our opponent force (BSF) would force them to retreat. Since the river is under the jurisdiction of Bangladesh’s territory, we have established our controls on it. Now you can see people of our country are fishing in the river. This exercise has been in place for the past two weeks,” the BGB commander claimed standing on the bank of the river.

 

Rubbishing the claim, a BSF official said, “Both India and Bangladesh have control over the five-km stretch of the river. The riverine border line is marked in the middle of the water of the river. It is completely a false claim that the BGB has established its control on the entire river.”

 

The BSF, in the letter to the BGB, described the Bangladesh agency’s claim as baseless, irresponsible and bereft of any truth and merit.

 

Identifying the BGB’s commanding officer, the BSF wrote: “The false and fabricated claims made by the newly-appointed commanding officer of 58 BGB Lt Col. Rafique Islam are strongly refuted as such articles and media reports will only erode the ell between the two Border Guarding Forces.”

 

In the letter, the BSF said that there is no change in status of the International Border. “Both the BSF and the BGB are performing their duty on their side of Kodalia river, the centre of which is the IB,” the letter reads.