LOC20:50
17:50 GMT
soil
NEW DELHI, April 12 (KUNA) -- India Saturday said that it had handed over
to Bangladesh a list of 117 camps of the insurgent groups from the country's
Northeast, operating from that territory.
"India has given a list to Dhaka of 117 camps of insurgent groups in
Bangladesh," Director General of India's Border Security Force (BSF) A K Mitra
said at a joint press conference here after a five-day border coordination
meet with Director General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Major General Shakil
Ahmed.
The BSF-BDR meeting had here started on April 8.
Mitra said BSF called for reciprocal action from Bangladesh regarding
handing over of Indian criminals, including insurgent leaders, issued with
Interpol red corner notices like Paresh Baruah of banned rebel group, United
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
India has recently handed over seven wanted Bangaldeshi criminals to Dhaka.
Addressing the press conference Gen Shakil Ahmed, however, claimed that
Paresh Baruah was no longer staying in Bangladesh. Baruah is reported to have
business interests in Bangladesh. In the past New Delhi had several times
urged for his deportation. ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia is also reported
to be based in Bangladesh.
"If the authorities find Indian criminals in Bangladesh, we are willing to
hand them over to India," Ahmed said.
He also favoured joint patrolling along the common border by BSF and BDR to
check cross-border crimes.
India shares a 4,096 km border with Bangladesh. Besides ULFA, other
insurgent groups from Indias Northeast also operate from Bangladesh.
ULFA aims to create a "sovereign Assam" carved out of India's Northeast.
New Delhi had also stated that Bangladeshi territory is being used by the
insurgents of Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI). The group is responsible for
several terror attacks across India over the past few years.
The next Director General level meeting of BSF and BDR will be held in
Dhaka in September, 2008. (end)
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KUNA 122050 Apr 08NNNN