New Delhi, Aug. 24 :     Signalling a further downswing in the already strained Delhi-Dhaka ties, India today lodged a strong protest with Bangladesh over the cross-border firing in Tripura and demanded that it ensure there is no repeat of the incident in future. South Block officials summoned acting Bangladesh high commissioner Alimul Haque and demanded that Dhaka take immediate steps to defuse tension. But Bangladesh insisted the Border Security Force had provoked the clash by first opening fire on the Bangladesh Rifles. Additional BSF personnel were rushed to Muhurichar as cross-border firing continued for the third day today. But the firing stopped around 1.30 this afternoon following diplomatic intervention. Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, who visited the spot, urged the Centre to take up the matter with Bangladesh. The BSF and BDR personnel have agreed to amicably resolve their dispute over the 144 acres of land along the border. A flag-meeting is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Diplomatic ties soured after Assam chief minister Prafulla Mahanta said in his Independence Day speech that Indian security forces had seized huge quantities of RDX from ISI agents holed up in Rajshahi. A few days later, Dhaka evened the score by claiming that 300 kg of Indian sulphur, an ingredient in bombs, had been seized in Benapole. Officials have begun to wonder whether Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee?s Calcutta-Dhaka bus bonhomie is going the same way as the Delhi-Lahore one. High-level technical experts of the two countries were scheduled to meet in Delhi this weekend to discuss bilateral issues. But the meeting may have to be called off if relations continue to slide. Bangladeshi officials have described the developments as ?extremely unfortunate?. They feel the BJP-led government is trying to make internal security its prime poll plank by zeroing in on ISI activities in Bangladesh. ?We understand their compulsion but why is Bangladesh being made a pawn in this political game??? a senior official asked. There have been several ups and downs in Indo-Bangla ties. But after the Ganga water pact was signed in December 1996, relations improved. When the BJP came to power at the Centre last year, there were fears that the countries might fall out over the infiltration issue. But Vajpayee said efforts would be made to strengthen relations. Accordingly, when he visited Bangladesh two months ago for the inaugural run of the Calcutta-Dhaka bus, he promised to remove tariffs on essential items, revive border trade and restore trans-shipment facilities between Bangladesh and Nepal.