Crop wars at border: Indian, Bangladeshi farmers clash over mango trees and more

Tensions flared at the India-Bangladesh border in Malda's Sukhdevpur on Saturday as farmers from both sides clashed over disputed crops and trees, reported TOI. Indian farmers accused their Bangladeshi counterparts of stealing standing crops from Indian territory near the BSF's 119 border outpost, while Bangladeshi farmers claimed that Indian nationals had crossed into their land and chopped down mango trees.

The trouble began around 11:45 am when Indian farmers spotted their Bangladeshi peers allegedly harvesting crops on Indian soil. What started as a verbal dispute quickly escalated into a violent confrontation, with both sides hurling stones at each other. BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces were quickly deployed to restore order and disperse the crowds.

Despite the intervention, reports indicated that some Bangladeshi nationals remained within 50 to 75 meters of the international border late into the afternoon.


"We were working on our fields when we saw them stealing our crops. When we confronted them, they became aggressive," an Indian farmer said.

On the other hand, Bangladeshi farmers explained that they had gone to harvest wheat from their land near the zero line when the altercation began. They claimed that Indian farmers crossed over and cut down mango trees on Bangladeshi soil.

Three Bangladeshi nationals were reportedly injured, according to the Bengali daily Prothom Alo.

The area, being an enclave, makes it difficult to properly fence the border, allowing people from both sides to wander into each other's territory. The clash highlights the ongoing border tensions, especially with the BSF's barbed wire fence construction near the Sukhdevpur and Chauka borders, which had already stirred up previous disputes.

BSF deputy commandant Rakesh Singh assured that the situation was now under control and emphasised that no injuries had been reported from either side. He urged Indian farmers to report such incidents to the BSF rather than taking matters into their own hands, noted the TOI report.

Local officials have planned a meeting with village heads to address the issue, while additional BSF personnel have been deployed to ensure peace. Meanwhile, a battalion-commander-level flag meeting between the BSF and BGB was held at the Chauka border to resolve ongoing tensions.