Bangladesh claims of dismantling two Indian-insurgent camps

Shillong, Dec 5 (UNI) After its constant denial, Bangladesh has finally claimed to have dismantled two Indian-insurgents training camps at Chittagong Hills Tracts, Inspector General of Border Security Force P K Mishra said today.

The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) officials had informed the Indian frontiers, when the Director General Ashish Kumar Mitra asked his Bangladesh counterpart Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed to dismantle camps of various Northeast-based militant outfits in Bangladesh, the IG BSF in-charge Assam-Meghalaya Frontier said.

Mr Mitra had raised the issue during the last biennial conference of Director Generals of the Border Security Forces (BSF) and BDR held in Dhaka on October 24 last.

''They had informed us during the meeting of dismantling Indian militants' camps at Chittagong Hills Tracts,'' Mr Mishra told reporters here on the sidelines of BSF's 43rd raising day function.

The IG, however, said the BDR failed to arrest any of the Indian militant or seized any arms from the camp, as they were abandoned by militants,'' Mr Mishra said.

The BSF officials here said the Indian insurgents were running 60 to 70 training camps especially in the hilly Khagrachari district in Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts.

''We have handed over a list to the BDR, informing it of the presence of 141 camps of various militant outfits in Bangladesh that are involved in anti-India activities,'' he said.

India shares about 4,095 km long border with Bangladesh, including 2,216 km along West Bengal, 856 km along Tripura, 443 km along Meghalaya, 318 km along Mizoram and 262 km along Assam. A large stretch of the border remains unfenced.

UNI