NEW DELHI, May 11 – Notwithstanding Bangladesh’s denials, India has given a list of 155 terrorist training camps operating at various places in that country, many with the help of ISI and Al-Qaeda and asked it to shut them down, reports PTI. While conveying its concern over the support by some fundamentalist organisations of Bangladesh to North-east terrorists, India at a recent high-level meeting has also sought deportation of 85 insurgents from the neighbouring country, official sources told PTI here today.
“We have information that ISI activities directed against India are on the rise in Bangladesh. ISI men along with Al-Qaeda operatives are imparting training at several of the camps,” they said. They said that reports suggest that sophisticated weapons are being smuggled into India from various places in Bangladesh including Cox Bazar, Silhit and Cittagong and ISI operatives are playing a key role in this.
“Even terrorists operating in Jammu & Kashmir are also being sent via the Bangladesh border because of it being a porous frontier than the western border,’ the sources said. A list of 155 militant training camps existing in Bangladesh, with pinpointed locations, was submitted at the Foreign Secretary level meeting as also between the Director Generals of BSF and Bangladesh Rifles recently.
Incidentally, the number of camps cited this time are 56 more than furnished by India during a similar meeting six months ago.This was despite the repeated denials by Dhaka about existence of training camps for North East insurgents in that country. The training camps, whose list has been prepared by the Indian security agencies, includes those run by the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM), the sources said.
The list also includes training camps run by People’s Liberation Army (PLA), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Muslim United Liberation Tiger of Assam (MULTA), Achik National Volunteer Council,Chakma National Liberation Front (CNLF) and Dima Halam Daoga, they said. India has also asked Bangladesh to hand over insurgents wanted for crimes in North-east, including top ULFA leaders Anup Chetia and Babul Sarma, the sources said.
The list of insurgents includes those from Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur along with details where and when they were arrested in Bangladesh. The Indian authorities have cited the earlier requests for their handing over which had never been met by Bangladesh, the sources said.
Detailing some of the incidents when the insurgents were apprehended in Bangladesh, the Indian authorities said that most of them had been arrested under Foreigner Act, Passport Act, Bangladesh Control Act and Foreign Currency Act. According to the sources, Chetia alias Golap Barua alias Jhon Devid Salemar alias Jaj Willium Balot alias Abdul Aziz had been arrested and sent to jail in Bangladesh on January one, 1998 under Foreigner Act and Passport Act.
Babul Sarma was jailed on December 24, 1997 also under the same acts as was another top ULFA leader Laxme Prosad Goshame. Other insurgents demanded by India from Bangladesh include Bendage Wati, Chooba alias Maden, Tusi, Champa alias Chaoba, Kaning Aum (all of ULFA), Sohan Deb Barma and Ghanta Deb Barma of ATTF, Saul Borok, Dhingro Deb Barma, Makshod Borok, Saybam Deb Barma and Kumon Deb Barma (all of NLFT).