The 25th anniversary of the Barai Bari border clash between Bangladesh’s then BDR and India’s BSF will be observed tomorrow in Roumari upazila of Kurigram. On April 18, 2001, Indian border guards entered Barai Bari village and launched an attack that triggered a 42-hour-long confrontation. The fighting left three BDR members dead and six civilians injured, while 16 BSF soldiers were killed and two captured by locals. The violence destroyed 179 houses near the border.

Since then, local residents and the administration have commemorated the day as Barai Bari Day, but it has yet to receive official state recognition even after 25 years. Former lawmaker Ruhul Amin and local defense volunteers had joined the BDR in resisting the attack. A memorial now stands at the site honoring the three fallen BDR soldiers.

Residents continue to demand that Barai Bari be declared a “heroic village” and that Barai Bari Day be granted national recognition, reflecting the community’s long-standing call for official acknowledgment of their sacrifice.