Open Bangladesh border threats for Bihar's Purnia division

Kishanganj, Sep 2 (UNI) Bihar's Purnia division, particularly Kishanganj district, shares borders with Nepal and Bangladesh has become a safe haven for organised criminals including subversive forces, informed sources here said.

The region, also known as "chicken's neck" has become home of anti-national elements and kingpins of underworld groups, who use this ''corridor'' for all kinds of subversive activities and transit point for trafficking of contraband goods, sources said.

Offiails of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), who guards the border with Nepal, said the border districts of Nepal have become breeding ground for some active terrorist groups and mushrooming of Madarsas adjoining border areas are linked to them.

Recently Md Kalam, one of the accused of serial blasts in Mumbai, was arrested from the sleeping hamlet of Madhubani in north Bihar.

According to BSF, which guards Indo-Bangladesh border, the anti-India forces are targeting the gullible and innocent youngmen for spreading their fundamentalist agenda.

As Bangladesh providing shelter to the anti-India militant outifts, the youths after being lured were given arms training in that country with sole motive to carry out operations against Indian establishments.

Since Purnia division, particularly Kishanganj district is already saddled with huge number of illegal immigrants from across Bangladesh, mostly Bhatiya muslims have also making their present felt in political circle.

It is reliably learnt that these immigrants, in turn, greatly facilitate the under-cover operations of the thinly disguised anti-national forces.

Apart from this, many educational institutions, which have come up in recent years, now under the scanner of BSF, are known to be thriving on foreign money and under-cover ''hawala'' transactions are most convenient conduit for their (anti-nationals) activities.

Local police administration opined that if stringent measures are not taken,the entire region might turn safe den for terrorists.

According to BSF sources, barbed wire fencing of Indo-Bangladesh border could effectively chechmate intrusion of illegal immigrants and militants from across the border. But, huge areas are still to be fenced with barbed wire.

UNI XC-RS PC SS1052