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Flags of India
and Bangladesh India-Bangladesh
Border Conflict (2001)
|
ALTERNATE
NAMES FOR CONFLICT:
|
India vs. Bangladesh
BEGAN:
April 18, 2001
ENDED:
April 21, 2001
|
TYPE(S) OF
CONFLICT:
|
|
Inter-State
Border Conflict
|
PREDECESSOR:
(Related conflicts that occurred
before)
Bangladesh
War of Independence (1971)
India-Bangladesh
Muhurichar Island Border Conflict
(1975)
India-Bangladesh
Muhurichar Island Border Conflict
(1979)
India-Bangladesh
Muhurichar Island Border Conflict
(1985)
CONCURRENT:
(Related conflicts occurring at the same
time)
SUCCESSOR:
(Related conflicts that occur
later)
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CAUSES AND
DESCRIPTION OF CONFLICT:
|
In 1971, India aided the
people of Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan), gain
independence from Pakistan. According to the Bangladesh
government, ever since that military intervention, Indian
forces have occupied a small sliver of land along their
border near the village of Pyrdiwah. On April 18, 2001,
troops of the Bangladeshi Rifles (border troops) occupied
the disputed village. In the fighting that followed, 15
members of India's border forces, the Border Security Force
(BSF) were killed, along with several of the attacking
soldiers. Indian forces 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. 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. Since the creation
of Bangladesh, the neighbors have had largely cordial
relations, though the BSR and Bangladeshi Rifles have
exchanged fire in the past. Those incidents centered on
Muhurichar Island further to the south. Conflicting claims
to ownership of this river island provoked gunfire in 1975,
1979 and 1985. The violence in 2001 was by far the most
serious in the history of Indian-Bangladeshi
relations. India and Bangladesh began
border talks in March, 2002.
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CONSEQUENCES
OF CONFLICT:
|
Increased
difficulties in relations and an upsurge in Bangladeshi
nationalism and ill will toward India. Fewer than two dozen Indian dead, with smaller numbers
of Bangladeshi casualties. At least 17 Indian civilians
were wounded. This
was the first "serious" military conflict between India
and Bangladesh since Bangali
independence. Yahoo
News sourcesBBC
Online
Bangladesh
and India Begin Border Talks--From the BBC: March 23,
2002
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