DHAKA: After the recent exchange of heavy gunfire, the Border Security Force and Bangladesh Rifles have agreed to pull out additional troops from the frontier, abide by border guidelines and land-boundary agreement.

The agreement was reached at a Sector Commander-level flag meeting on Sunday at Harinagar on the Indian side. The two forces agreed to withdraw their additional troops by 5 p.m. on Monday, lift `red alert' and abide by the land-boundary agreement of 1974, official sources here said.

Col. Abul Hossain, BDR's Sector Commander in Sylhet, led a 15-member team, while the BSF delegation was led by Sree Deshraj, Deputy Inspector-General, Silchar Range.

"The talks were fruitful," Col. Hossain told journalists on his return. The two sides agreed that junior officers of the BDR and BSF would remain alert in averting the recurrence of any untoward incident.

While villagers in Jokiganj, Bangladesh, expressed relief over the peace meeting, an uneasy calm prevailed in at least 15 villages.

"Statement is false"

The Bangladesh Government termed as "false, fabricated and unsubstantiated" an Indian High Commission statement, accusing the BDR of opening unprovoked fire on the BSF in Jokiganj.

"We are utterly surprised that the press release of the Indian High Commission has not only distorted the facts on the ground but has also made totally unfounded allegations against the BDR," said a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

The Indian High Commission's allegation through a public statement "clearly runs contrary to established diplomatic norms and basic courtesy, he said.

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