Updated on Saturday, July 04, 2009, 23:24 IST

Shillong, July 04: The BSF and its Bangladesh counterpart on Saturday agreed to maintain status quo on disputed area in Meghalaya, and decided to form a panel of experts to examine the situation.

The decision was taken at commandant-level meeting between the two border guarding forces, held near Dawki in Meghalaya's jaintia Hills district, capping a week long tension that erupted after an alleged encroachment by Bangladeshis.

BSF sources said that on Friday last around 200 Bangladeshis, backed by the BDR, trespassed and entered Nongkhen, areas of around 230 acres which is under "adverse possession" of India.

BSF intercepted the encroachers and chased them away, erecting a temporary fence around the disputed tract. The BSF and BDR had held a flag meeting the next day, but the meeting bad reportedly failed to make any breakthrough.

A simmering tension prevailed in the area, with BDR reinforcing their troops on the other side of the fence and the BSF putting its men on alert.

During today's meeting both the forces laid their respective claims on the area. "A panel consisting of survey authorities of both the countries would be formed shortly to examine the matter and resolve it,'' a BSF official said after the meeting.

Bureau Report