Thursday, April 21 2005 10:58 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dhaka: The border tension between India and Bangladesh has been defused following negotiations between the two countries; Bangladesh's foreign minister was quoted as saying.

"I believe the tension caused by the unfortunate and regrettable incident at the border has now been defused ... I hope it will not escalate further," Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan was quoted as saying by the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency.

He said the Home Ministers of India and Bangladesh and the Directors-General of Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR) and Border Security Force (BSF) had telephonic conversations when both sides decided to call each other over telephone and take immediate steps to stop recurrence of such incident.

"I've asked to show maximum restraint and remain careful to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border," Khan was quoted as telling reporters in Dhaka.

Khan had chaired a high-level meeting with law- enforcement agencies to assess the situation.

He said both Bangladesh and India had already constituted independent committees to inquire into Saturday's (Apr 16, 2005) BDR-BSF gunfight that killed a BSF officer and a Bangladeshi girl.

He said such skirmish is not unusual along the 4002-km porous border, but hoped that it would not affect the good relations between the two neighbours.

"It is the responsibility of the Governments of the two countries to maintain peace. We're committed to improving relationship with all our neighbours," he said.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister also said completion of demarcation of 6.5 km of the border and "exchange of adverse possession of lands and enclaves" between Bangladesh and India would help ease the irritants to a great extent.

The joint committee of experts has already submitted its reports to their respective Governments, which is now under scrutiny.

"We want to settle all our issues through discussion," he told the journalists.

Replying to a question, Khan said the border guidelines do not allow construction of any defensive structure within 150 yards of the Zero Line.

He said Bangladesh would give due consideration if India faced any genuine difficulty in encompassing own houses or places of worship while constructing fences.

"I was given to understand that if they face any problem, they will show us map and we will give due consideration," Khan said referring to the Director General-level meeting between BDR and BSF in Dhaka last week.