A border guard at Jamaldahabalapukuri on Wednesday. Picture by Biplab Basak

March 29: Unnerved by yest-erday’s killing of two villagers by the Bangladesh Rifles, the Border Security Force today said it would ask the government to amend the rules that now prohibit any activity within 150 yards of the zero line.

BSF officials and their Bangladesh counterparts held a flag-meeting last night following the skirmish in which BDR jawans opened fire on a group of men from Cooch Behar’s Mekhliganj subdivision who were engaged in road repair along the border.

Two persons were killed and four admitted to the Jalpaiguri district hospital.

One of them, Abdul Jabbar Ali, was later shifted in a very critical state to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri.

The BDR returned the body of Jasimuddin this evening.

BSF inspector-general S.R. Tewari told The Telegraph that according to the existing border guidelines, framed in 1975, no work having defence potential should be taken up within 150 yards of the international border. “This guideline should be changed immediately. We want guidelines that will allow people on the Indian side to undertake activities without consulting the BDR within 150 yards of the border,” he said.

Tewari visited Jamaldahabalapukuri in Cooch Behar this morning to assess the situation. Describing the BDR’s action as “inhuman”, he said: “We want to keep friendly ties with our counterparts on the other side, but they should not consider this gesture as a sign of our weakness.”

He said he has already ordered his men to establish a border outpost in the village. There is already a similar outpost at Jhakabari, 1.5 km from the spot, he added.

Tewari also referred to the recent incident in which the BDR had opened fire on civilians at Kishanganj. The victims there were also engaged in development work. Luckily, there were no casualties.

BSF additional deputy inspector-general, central, S.S. Sandhu said the BDR had misinterpreted the rules. “Construction of roads is not defence-oriented. The guideline does not stop development work.”

An uneasy calm prevailed at Jamaldahabalapukuri with villagers not venturing out of huts. “I was nearly dragged off by the BDR jawans during the firing. There were about 15 of them along with 45 Bangladeshis. They also broke into Hamidul Rehman’s house and hit him,” recalled Farza Bibi.