No insurgent groups to operate from B'desh: BDR

Shillong, Aug 31: The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has assured Border Security Force (BSF) that it will not allow Indian insurgent groups to operate from Bangladesh soil.

The BDR made this assurance during the IsG BSF-BDR bi-annual border meeting after the BSF delegation sought strong action from Dhaka against the Indian insurgent groups, operating from Bangladesh soil, Inspector General of BSF (Tripura Cachar and Mizoram Frontier) S K Dutta said.

''This time, they (BDR) have reciprocated positively and we hope they take action against the insurgents,'' Mr Dutta said.

Handing over a list of 172 Indian insurgent camps to the BDR delegation, Mr Dutta said they reiterated their appeal to BDR to dismantle all the camps, run by Indian insurgents, in their territory at the earliest.

The BSF provided the BDR with names of 103 wanted insurgent groups leaders and 58 symphatisers residing in Bangladesh for appropriate action.

The list of 103 militants included ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, its General Secretary Anup Chetia, and top leaders of insurgent groups, NSCN (I-M), NDFB, ATTF, NLFT, KYKL, PLA, KLO, HNLC and ANVC.

Unlike the previous meeting, Mr Dutta said he was surprised by BDR delegation for not countering back with their list.

'' At the last meeting, the BDR had given a list of 79 so called camps in Tripura and 10 in West Bengal, '' he said.

A four-day meeting between the two frontier guards that concluded at the BSF's Frontier headquarters here today deliberated on the need for effective border management, peace and tranquility on the border.

The Indian delegation was headed by Mr Dutta and the BDR delegation was led by its Deputy Director General Brigadier General S M Golam Rabbani.

Meanwhile, both BDR and BSF were mutually appreciative of their counterparts for their work in apprehending cross-border mafia gangs engaged in smuggling arms and drugs. The BDR appreciated the BSF for seizing more than 18,000 bottles of phensydil, 3600 kg of hemp and 2.700 kg of heroin while being smuggled into Bangladesh.

UNI

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