Border security forces of Bangladesh and India exchanged gunfire on Shibganj border in Chapainawabganj yesterday morning, halting cross-border trade and immigration activities through the Sona Masjid land port.

Panic gripped the locals when volleys of gunfire broke out at around 6:00am, half-an-hour after Indian Border Security Force (BSF) gunned down a Bangladeshi cattle trader on Nimtola border in Chuadanga, according to our correspondents.

With this latest killing, BSF men shot dead six Bangladeshis including two Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel since Friday.

The deputy director general (DDG)-level border conference that is presently being held in Kolkata failed to defuse the tension and killings on the borders of the two countries. The conference concludes today.

A member of the BSF was reportedly killed in a gunfight with Indian terrorists in the bordering area of Pirojpur village under Shibganj upazila, said BDR sources adding that the BSF is trying to shift the blame on BDR.

BBC Bangla Service however reported a BSF member named Shatrughna of MS Pur under Murshidabad district was killed in BDR firing.

Our Chapainawabganj correspondent reported a group of BSF personnel from Shashani camp entered the Bangladesh territory while chasing terrorists. Firings ensued when the BDR challenged the intruders, sparking panic and fear among residents of the area.

Hundreds of cargo vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the borders as cross-border trade and customs and immigration formalities ground to a halt following the firings.

Maj Syed Abu Hassan, commanding officer {CO) of BDR 39 Battalion, declined to comment if there were any casualties.

He however told news agency UNB that at around 6:00am, they first heard the sound of gunfire, presumably by BSF, coming from inside India. "At one stage they opened fire on us. We fired a shot in response," he added.

Earlier on Friday, BSF gunned down two BDR personnel on the same border at Raghunathpur village. Both sides are on high alert and have been massing additional troops on the border.

The Bangladeshi cattle trader shot dead by BSF on Nimtola border in Chuadanga yesterday morning was identified as Rakibul Islam, 30, son of Babur Ali from Sultanpur village in Damurhuda upazila.

Sources in 35 Rifle Battalion said a BSF patrol team of Gede camp in Krishnapur opened fire on the Bangladeshi cattle trader at around 5:30am near border pillar 74 as he was returning to Bangladesh from India after buying cattle.

Rakibul died on the spot and the Indian border guards took the dead body inside the Indian territory.

The BDR sent a letter to the BSF protesting the killing and asking to hand over the body to BDR, said Lt Col Sultan, CO of 35 battalion, while speaking with journalists. The BDR is yet to receive any response from the BSF till filing of this report at 4:30pm, he added.

Our correspondent from Dinajpur reports: BSF yesterday pushed in six Bangla speaking Indian nationals through Tentulia border in Panchagarh.

The Indian nationals were identified as Monwara Begum, 52, wife of M Abdul Zabbar, her daughter Shahida, 15, Kulsum, 15, Moyna, 10, and son Farid, and Salma, 48, wife of M Shajahan.

They said they have been living in Golta village of Rajasthan in India for the last 25 years, but the Indian police had arrested them on July 10 from Rajasthan and handed over to the BSF.