Author: Nilova Roy Chaudhury
Publication: The Statesman
Date: December 2, 2002
URL: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?date=2002-12-02&clid=1&id=6792
Before handing over to Bangladesh
a demarche on the use of its territory as a launching pad for the ISI's
operations against India, the government collated details of such activity
in that country, based on Intelligence and other sources.
Details presented by external affairs
minister Mr Yashwant Sinha in Lok Sabha last week - on Dhaka being the
"nerve-centre" and "hub" of Al-Qaida activists and anti-India activities
- were gleaned from a "White Paper" like document called "Pakistan's Involvement
in Terrorism Against India" compiled by the government.
Diplomatic observers said the allegations
were "absolutely authentic" and diplomatic circles in Dhaka were rife with
details of anti-Indian activities centred in the Pakistani mission there.
Despite Bangladesh's denial of any such activity taking place, (Bangladesh
high commissioner in India Mr Tufail K Haider said: "We did not fight for
independence from Pakistan only to hand over our territory to the ISI for
use against India or any otherneighbour"), observers said there were "too
many instances to be merely coincidental".
According to the document, Pakistani
Intelligence agencies have been "actively involved" with the insurgent
movement in the North-east since the 1950s. More recently, the ISI "penetrated
fundamentalist groups" like the Jamaat-e-Islami and Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami,
providing funds and guidance to "expand Pakistani influence and foment
anti-India sentiments".
When the Awami League was in power,
they "consistently cultivated" (then) Opposition leaders from the Bangladesh
National Party and the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party. After the BNP-led Khaleda
Zia government came to power last October, these activities gained momentum.
Similarly, the ISI made "extensive
inroads" into various Islamic fundamentalist organisations operating in
the North-east, including the Students Islamic Movement of India, the Muslim
Volunteer Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Army of Manipur and the Muslim
Liberation Tigers of Assam. ISI officials based in the Pakistani high commission
in Dhaka "network" from there to coordinate activities of agents in various
fields, the document says, particularly in providing travel documents and
arms and ammunition to militant leaders.
Seizures have "firmly established"
that militants in the North-east and their cadre receive training in handling
weapons/ guerrilla warfare in Pakistan and Bangladesh through Pak ISI/Army
officers. Most travel documents seized have been found to have been prepared
with "active assistance from ISI operatives in Bangladesh".
