Bangladesh on April 18 observed Borai Bari Day, commemorating the 2001 border battle in Roumari upazila of Kurigram, where the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) repelled an incursion by India’s Border Security Force (BSF). The clash began around 4 a.m. when about 400 Indian commandos, soldiers, and BSF personnel crossed the border fence into Bangladesh. Local farmer Minhaj Uddin alerted the BDR, prompting a rapid response. Fighting intensified after reinforcements arrived under Lt. Col. Zaman, lasting two days and resulting in the deaths of three BDR soldiers and 16 BSF members, with two BSF personnel captured alive.

The confrontation followed a long-standing dispute over the Padua area, which had been under BSF control since the 1971 Liberation War. After BDR retook Padua on April 15, 2001, BSF launched the Borai Bari attack three days later. The battle caused civilian casualties and forced about 40,000 villagers from 25 border villages to flee temporarily.

Even after 25 years, residents recall the fear and destruction but regard the event as a symbol of Bangladesh’s courage and sacrifice at the frontier.