Cause

The border of India and Bangladesh was one of a number of disputes that arose as a result of the Partition of Bengal. The Partition of Bengal and Punjab had left a poorly demarcated international border between the two neighbours. The ownership of several villages on both sides of the border are disputed and claimed by both countries.

According to the Bangladesh government, ever since the liberation of Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) by Indian forces in 1971, Indian forces have occupied a small sliver of land along their border near the village of Pyrdiwah. On April 18, troops of the Bangladeshi Rifles (border troops) occupied the disputed village. In the fighting that followed, Bangladesh claims that 15 members of India's border forces, the Border Security Force (BSF) were killed, along with several of the attacking soldiers. However, India claims a far lower death toll.

Indian sources reported that this followed a weekend incident in which 20 Indian troops were taken hostage when Bangladesh seized a frontier outpost in the village of Pyrdiwah. Bangladesh also claimed the village as within its territory.

Indian forces eventually 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. The quick intervention of Indian and Bangladesh governments intervened and defused the tension. Further the Indian and Bangladeshi government started the border talks in March 2002 to solve the border problem..

India claims that Bangladeshi troops overran and occupied a disputed border village near the town of Dauki, and that Bangladeshi troops are holding more than 20 of its soldiers hostage.

Top Indian border security sources claimed that the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel had retreated in Meghalaya sector, while in Assam sector, the Indian border security forces men had vacated positions seized from Bangladesh. .

Bangladesh insists that Indian forces launched an early morning attack on their posts in the frontier district of Kurigram - which lies on the border with Indian state of Assam, On the morning of Wednesday 18 April 2001.

Fresh clashes erupted along the India-Bangladesh border, just hours after both sides voiced regret for the recent killings, though by midnight of April 20 firing had again fallen silent. The article also revised upwards the number of Indian civilians who fled the region to 6,000, and stated that Indian government officials were attempting to convince villagers to return to their homes