Indian cattle fence sparks border tension with Bangladesh

KOLKATA: Security forces from India and Bangladesh had a tense confrontation this week over the construction of a fence supposedly meant to keep cattle from straying over their shared border, officials said Saturday.

Relations between both countries are fragile after the August 5 overthrow of autocratic Bangladeshi ex-premier Sheikh Hasina, who is now in exile in India after a student-led uprising toppled her.

New Delhi was Hasina's biggest patron and benefactor and many Bangladeshis have since been openly critical of their bigger and more powerful neighbour for backing her 15-year rule.

The latest dispute arose on Thursday, when India's Border Security Force (BSF) claimed they were stopped from erecting the fence by their Bangladeshi counterparts.

"Tension flared up after Bangladesh border guards sought to block the building of a cattle fence," BSF deputy inspector general AK Arya told AFP.

"But there was no violence."

Bangladesh is almost entirely encircled by India and the border stretches for more than 4,000 kilometres (2,485 miles), large parts of which are unfenced.

Indian officials claim the fence was being built as part of a 2012 agreement to stop cows from either side wandering over the frontier or from being stolen, according to local media reports.

Cattle smuggling has been a source of tension between the two countries but AFP could not independently verify the purpose behind the construction of the fence.