The situation at the Chapainawabganj border returned to normal today, a day after tension flared over an altercation between Indian and Bangladeshi citizens regarding the cutting of tree branches within Bangladeshi territory.

Lt Col Golam Kibria, commander of the BGB-49 (Border Guard Bangladesh) battalion, told The Daily Star that local people involved in farming and agricultural activities have resumed their regular work at the border.

"We are conducting our regular patrol duty, and our counterparts, the Border Security Force (BSF), are also continuing their routine patrols," Kibria said over the phone.

He assured that there were no obstacles for farmers to access their fields.

"Farmers are working in their fields as usual with no issues," he added.

However, Kibria urged people who do not have any work at the border to refrain from visiting. "Many people are coming to the border for sightseeing and taking selfies, which is harming crops, as they walk over cultivated areas. Farmers have raised concerns about this," he said.

Adviser to the Home Affairs Ministry, Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, today said the altercation began over the felling of paddy and trees.

"We did not report on the incident in our media... Two members of the BSF were injured. No BGB personnel were hurt, but one or two civilians sustained injuries," he said.

The adviser added that the issue had been resolved through discussions between the BGB and BSF.

He also mentioned ongoing border issues but reassured that the problem would be resolved soon.

"There are issues where one party crosses into the other's territory, but these will be addressed shortly," he said.

The incident took place near BGB's Chouka and Kironganj border outposts in the Binodpur union of Shibganj upazila. Another dispute took place earlier on January 8 over the construction of a barbed wire fence by the BSF.