Bangladeshi and Indian border guards exchanged fire yesterday in the wake of India's attempts to build a barbed-wire fencing on the no-man's land along their 4,000-km common border, forcing thousands of villagers to flee their homes for safety. After a two-day lull, the border forces traded heavy gunfire at Singimari frontier in Lalmonirhat district and Ramgarh in hilly Khagrachhari district over the construction of fences by the Indians in breach of an agreement of Monday's flag meeting. Initial reports from the frontier in Hatibandha sub-district of Lalmonirhat said the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire at about 3:15 p.m. when Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel opposed the attempt of fencing off the border. BDR forces retaliated under the command of 19 Battalion Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Ahad, the reports said. In the first hour of firing till 4:15 pm, the two sides traded some 3,000 rounds of shots but only one Bangladeshi peasant was reported injured. Firing was continuing when last reports came in."Bangladeshi villagers fled homes from around the trouble spot at pillar no. 872 and took shelter in Hatibandha sub-district headquarters," according to an initial report from the remote area.