Bangladesh - News And Discussion

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<b>BSF claims BDR silenced by proof</b>

Friday, March 14, 2008

<b>Shillong, March 13: For the first time, the Border Security Force (BSF) has handed over a list of 141 camps of Indian militants with their exact locations inside Bangladesh, 116 militants and 198 sympathisers to its Bangladesh counterpart BDR.

The list was handed over after a three-day meeting between the two forces, which ended on Thursday.</b>

After the meeting, BSF Inspector-General (Assam-Meghalaya, Cachar and Manipur Frontier) P K Mishra told reporters, “BDR was taken aback when we pointed out specific names, locations of militants and insurgent camps in Bangladesh and could not contradict our claims.”

The BSF claims have been made on the basis of information provided by surrendered chairman of the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) Julius Dorphang — who had taken refuge inside Bangladesh — and seven NSCN (I-M) cadres.

“We have sought an outright assurance from BDR to trace these militants and launch a crackdown on the camps,” Mishra said.

<b>Mishra said the Bangladesh Army raid on September 13, 2007, in Balaghat that led to the arrest of an Assamese man and seizure of 32,000 rounds of ammunitions and a few kilogrammes of RDX was an instance of Indian militants using Bangladesh to smuggle arms and ammunitions into India.

“Though BDR admitted to the arrest, they failed to brief us on follow-up action,” he added.</b>