Bangladesh Burma to resolve border tension

Bangladesh and Burma have agreed to defuse tension on their border, after an exchange of fire there on Monday.

Both countries had sent troop reinforcements to the border zone following reports last week that Burma has started building a long-disputed dam on the river Naaf.

The Bangladesh foreign minister, Abdus Samad Azad, told journalists today the two countries had pledged to abide by an agreement which prevents either of them from constructing dams on the river Naaf, which forms part of their border.

Bangladesh says the dam would flood or cause erosion in its territory and damage shrimp cultivation projects. Burma argued the construction work on the dam had been undertaken by local villagers and the government had nothing to do with it.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service