1979 Bangladesh-Indian skirmishes

This article may relate to a different subject or has undue weight on an aspect of the subject. Specifically, only five of the cited sources and about two paragraphs of text are about the 1979 cross-border firing (of 100 total rounds spead over a month, in which no one was hurt). The rest are about other border incidents and don't mention 1979 or barely mention it (e.g. "The BSF and BDR fought gun battles over the area on three previous occasions - in 1976, 1979 and 1985." and "Border forces of both the countries are also reported to have exchanged gunfire in at least eight incidents in 1979–1999").. Please help relocate relevant information and remove irrelevant content. (September 2024)

1979 Bangladesh-India skirmishes
Date 1 November - 2 December 1979 (1 month, 1 day) Location Bangladesh-Indian Border (Belonia, South Tripura, Tripura, India/Comilla, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh) Result See Aftermath section Territorial changes Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Bangladesh	India
Commanders and leaders
Ziaur Rahman	Unknown
Units involved
Bangladesh Rifles	Border Security Force

The 1979 Bangladesh-India skirmishes was a incident of border firing between Bangladesh and India from November to December 1979. The border firing took place between troops of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and the Border Security Force (BSF) on the poorly-marked international border between the two countries.^[1][2][3]

The conflict began on 1 November.^[1] And for more than a month, India and Bangladesh engaged in a gunbattle at the border town of BeIonia in northeastern India.^[1][2][4][5]

Years after the victory of the Battles of Belonia Bulge by the Mukti Bahini and allied Indian troops.^{[6][7][relevant?]} The Belonia issue was almost settled in 1974, when Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman agreed to the general principle of watershed. It was decided that in all cases of river line boundaries the midstream would be regarded as the border. And, that both sides would take steps to ensure that the rivers did not change their course, Unfortunately, it was not settled.^[1]

The joint boundaries commission was to meet in the first week of November to finalise the Belonia border within the framework of the Indira-Mujib agreement. Officials of the two countries held a flag meeting.^[1] However, on 15 August 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family was killed after Mujib established a one-party system,^[8] and Ziaur Rahman became the President of Bangladesh in 1977, Indira Gandhi also lost the 1977 Indian general election in the same year.^[relevant?] In October 1979, Bangladesh said, it should be regarded as no-man's-land and farmers on the Indian side should be refrained from harvesting in no-man's-land. The Indian side disagreed, Indian peasants began harvesting the paddy they had sown.^[1] Bangladesh Rifles and the Border Security Force both exchanged fire in the beginning days of November, thus starting intense gunbattles between the two sides.^{[9][failed verification]}

Bangladesh Rifles and Indian Border Security Forces exchanged fire near the Comilla-Tripura border throughout the entire month of November to December 1979.^[1][2][4] The shooting appeared to have became a habit with the soldiers on both sides. A joint survey team of India and Bangladesh visited the area and watched bullets flying across the disputed land for 90 minutes.^[2] No fatalities or injuries were reported.^[1]

After the three-day talks, the two delegations issued a brief joint statement in which, both sides agreed to exercise maximum restraint and avoided provocation to ensure the return of normalcy in the Muhuri Char area of the Belonia sector on the Tripura-Comilla border. This merely meant that the two sides would not resort to exchange of firing on the disputed 44-acre stretch of land.^[4][5]

Exchange of firing ended, but the talks had later failed.^[4]

Skirmishes in Belonia also occurred in 1985,^[9] Where heavy mortars were used in the intense clash.^[10] Skirmishes near and in Belonia also occurred in 1999,^[9][11] where 6 civilians including 1 BSF Jawan were injured.^[10][12] The 67.31-acre land at Muhurichar has remained a disputed area since 1974 with both India and Bangladesh claiming the cultivable tract as their own territory. Of it, 44.87 acre falls in the Indian territory, while the rest is in Bangladesh's control.^{[citation needed]}

In total, there were 8 skirmishes from 1979 to 1999 in Muhuri Char.^[13] BGB and BSF clashed for a total of 58 days in 20 years.^{[citation needed]}

The Daily Sangram, a Pro-Jamaat-e-Islami newspaper criticised India for attempting to occupy Muhurir Char area, near the location of the clash in 1979 and for carrying out aggression in the area since 1947, And also for attacks on Bangladeshis by BSF. Indian officials accused Bangladesh for being up to mischief, and the Tripura Government also criticised Bangladesh for escalation.^{[citation needed]}

• 2001 Bangladesh–India Border Clashes
• 2005 Bangladesh-India Border Clashes
• 2019 Bangladesh-Indian Border Clash
• Deaths along the Bangladesh–India Border
• Border Guard Bangladesh
• Border Security Force
• A. L. M. Fazlur Rahman