Bangladesh Border Guard enters Assam, tries to stop temple renovation

Bangladesh's border protecting force, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), halted the ongoing renovation of a temple near the Kushiyara river along the India-Bangladesh international border in Assam's Sribhumi district on Thursday. The incident took place amid rising tensions in the neighboring country, a TOI report stated.

The Kushiyara immersion ghat in Sribhumi town is home to a Manasa temple, which had fallen into a dilapidated condition. Recently, the Assam government allocated Rs 3 lakh for its restoration, and work began on Thursday. However, a team of BGB personnel from Bangladesh's Sylhet division intervened during the renovation process.

BGB Intervention

Reports indicate that BGB personnel arrived at Sribhumi aboard a speedboat from the Jakiganj point in Bangladesh's Sylhet division. Upon reaching the Indian side, they instructed the workers to stop the renovation work. Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, stationed at the border, engaged with the BGB officers, who opposed the repair work.

Flag Meeting Resolves Issue

In the evening, a commandant-level flag meeting was held between BSF and BGB officials at the Sribhumi border point. During the meeting, BSF officials clarified that the renovation was related to the restoration of an existing temple and was unrelated to the ongoing India-Bangladesh tensions. Following the discussions, the issue was resolved, and BSF authorized the temple authorities to continue with the renovation work.

India shares a 94-km border with Bangladesh in the Sribhumi district, of which 43 km is riverine. Additionally, a 4 km stretch of the border in Sribhumi town remains unfenced.

The renovation work, now cleared, is expected to proceed, with local authorities assuring that the matter will not impact the broader diplomatic relations between the two countries.