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The Indo-Bangladesh Conflict of 2001 was a short conflict fought between India and Bangladesh over the poorly marked border during 2001.

Cause

The border of India and Bangladesh was one of a number of disputes that arose as a result of the Partition of India. The Partition of India had left a poorly demarcated international border between the two neighbours. The ownership of several villages on both sides of the border are disputed and claimed by both countries.

According to the Bangladesh government, ever since the liberation of Bangladeh by Indian forces in 1971, Indian forces have occupied a small sliver of land along their border near the village of Pyrdiwah. On April 18, troops of the Bangladeshi Rifles (border troops) occupied the disputed village. In the fighting that followed, Bangladesh claims that 15 members of India's border forces, the Border Security Force (BSF) were killed, along with several of the attacking soldiers. However, India claims a far lower death toll.

Indian sources reported that this followed a weekend incident in which 20 Indian troops were taken hostage when Bangladesh seized a frontier outpost in the village of Pyrdiwah. Bangladesh also claimed the village as within its territory.

Indian forces evantually responded and retook the village. Between 10,000 and 20,000 villagers living in the area fled the fighting, with at least 17 suffering wounds. The combat remained limited to the border troops of the respective nations, though mortars were used in addition to automatic weapons fire. Several villages were destroyed or heavily damaged in the fighting.

India claims that Bangladeshi troops overran and occupied a disputed border village near the town of Dauki, and that Bangladeshi troops are holding more than 20 of its soldiers hostage.

Top Indian border security sources claimed that the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel had retreated in Meghalaya sector, while in Assam sector, the Indian border security forces men had vacated positions seized from Bangladesh. .

Bangladesh insists that Indian forces launched an early morning attack on their posts in the frontier district of Kurigram - which lies on the border with Indian state of Assam, On the morning of Wednesday 18 April 2001.

Fresh clashes erupted along the India-Bangladesh border, just hours after both side voiced regret for the recent killings, though by midnight of April 20 firing had again fallen silent. The article also revised upwards the number of Indian civilians who fled the region to 6,000, and stated that Indian government officials were attempting to convince villagers to return to their homes.

Result

India accused Bangladesh of having violating a war crimes statute in the Geneva Convention.Armed with their taking of the village, Bangladesh Military further strengthened its fortifications along the border by calling 20,000 additional troops to its border with India, However Bangladesh maintains that these movements were 'routine'.

The Indian BSF agreed to take back bodies of five of its soldiers at Rowmari sector, Whilst the other 11 were still 'missing'. Bangladesh later agreed to return the dead Indian soldiers the next day..The Bangladeshi side also had asked the BSF to furnish proof that the land they had occupied was part of India.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Raminder Jassal reported that both India and Bangladesh expressed regret over the incident and promised to exercise restraint in the future.

The two countries realizing that they were unable to make further gains agreed to form two joint working groups to resolve all outstanding border issues.

Aftermath

Several of the Indian dead appeared to have suffered brutal, non-combat deaths, which were blamed on mob violence perpetuated by Bangladesh civilians. The governments of both nations worked quickly to defuse the tension and end the fighting .

The subsequent end of the short conflict saw a huge upsurge of Bangladeshi nationalism in Bangladesh. .The upsurge in nationalism and military spending also paved the way for the hardline Bangladesh Nationalist Party victory in the 2001 national elections. The hardline Bangladesh Nationalist Party won a massive 196 seats out of 300. The Bangladeshi actions in the war is also commemerated by its armed forces yearly. . This led to some of the worst persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh in recent history. A US-based human rights organisation, Refugees International, has claimed that religious minorities, especially Hindus, currently face heavy discrimination in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh, a nationalist party openly called for ‘Talibanisation’ of the state .The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh subsequent to the conflict has been regarded accordingly.

The relations between the two neighbours saw increased difficulties, This was the first conflict between India and Bangladesh,two traditionally friendly nations since Bangali independence. Officially Bangladesh blamed the war on "adventurism of its local commanders" and denied it had initated hostilities.

In the Indian state of Meghalaya, the Border security forces bore the brunt of public criticism. The chief minister and home minister have reportedly complained to L.K. Advani on the ineffectiveness of the BSF .

Despite its claims Bangladesh ordered no court martial, or any suspension, nor any transfer of any local commanders.. Bangladesh had achieved its war aims and both sides desisited for any further hostilities and began border talks to discuss disputes along their four-thousand-kilometre border.

India would later begin to start constructing a fence along its entire border with Bangladesh.

Notes

1. ^ rediff.com
2. ^ BBC South Asia
3. ^ South Asia Nuclear Dialogue, nautilus.org
4. ^ India-Bangladesh Border Conflict,History Guy
5. ^ Guns fall silent on border, Tribune India
6. ^ India accuses Bangladesh of war crimes, CNN
7. U.N. arms treaty,pressureworks.org
8. bangla2000.com
9. April is the cruelest month Is there a method in the madness?, organiser.org
10. "Discrimination against Bangladeshi Hindus: Refugees International". Rediff.com. August 09, 2003 13:19 IST. Retrieved 2006-08-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. BANGLADESH GOVERNMENT IN DENIAL MODE ON COUNTRY’S TALIBANISATION, saag.org
12. Bangladesh: Another Afghanistan in the making,Zee News
13. Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.K parliament
14. ^ Bangladesh used us as a punching bag,mea.giv.in
15. India accuses Bangladesh of war crimes,CNN.com
16. Bangladesh and India begin border talks,BBC
17. Livelihoods on line at Indian border,BBC

Links and Further Reading

• http://www.historyguy.com/india-bangladesh_2001.htm
• http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010420/main1.htm
• http://mea.gov.in/opinion/2001/04/27ht.htm
• http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/04/26/india.police/index.html
• http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=127&page=25
• http://www.nautilus.org/archives/sand/Updates2001/V2N17.html

• Bangladesh
• Politics of Bangladesh
• Wars of India