In a strategy to encircle India, Pakistan has entered into a clandestine agreement with Bangladesh for "joint security cooperation" which is aimed at funneling fresh wave of terrorism into India's troubled North-East where more than 16 insurgent outfits are waging guerrilla battles for over two decades. Pakistan has been taking advantage of the ethno-cultural turmoil and assisting most of the outfits by way of financial help, arms supply and training of their cadres in camps set up inside Bangladeshi territory.
But the nexus between Pakistani agencies and some elements of Bangladesh government in rendering clandestine help to North-Eastern ultras has become quite open ever since the Khaleda Zia government came to power. Privately, US and British officials admit that in the present circumstances the North-East ultras are now openly operating from Bangladesh with the blessing of new government headed by Begum Zia and supported by hardline Muslim fundamentalists such as Jamait-e-Islami. Security officials say Pakistan has shifted its strategy, or is at any rate adopting dual strategy, to continue with its subversive activities.
After the successful elections in J&K and subsequent international pressure, it is finding it difficult to carry out terrorist activities. It has thus shifted focus to India's North-East and is operating from Bangladesh so that Pakistan can counter that violence within Indian territory is home grown and it has supported terrorism neither in Kashmir nor in the North-East.
As part of the "joint security cooperation", Bangladesh and Pakistan will increase military cooperation, train each other's personnel and share actionable intelligence to fight terrorism. That is a public posture as Dhaka is clandestinely increasing contacts with both Pakistan and China. It has also signed a security agreement with China for defence cooperation last month. In reality, the JSC agreement is providing Pakistani ISI a base in Bangladesh to operate and render massive assistance to North-East insurgents who are already getting support from ISI for last five years.
Intelligence reports suggest that the ISI assistance for North-East rebels from Bangladeshi territory is fast increasing and a total of 139 camps are functioning. Out of this, some 99 belong to North-East ultras while rest belong to ISI and DGFI operatives. There are several instances in which arrested North-East insurgents have confessed before Indian security agencies about their training in Bangladeshi camps that exist in Sylhet, Kishorganj, Bogra, Rangpur and Mymansingh districts where Pakistani ISI instructors impart arms training to the newly recruited cadres.
Consequently, major terrorist outfits are regularly sending their cadres to Bangladesh for training. In recent times, some interesting details have emerged which has raised eyebrows in many quarters.
Two ultras of ATTF, who had surrendered before local authorities in Tripura in mid-November, have given long details of Pakistani instructors and Bangladeshi intelligence officers who often visit these secret camps. This has led to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar to request Union Home Ministry to issue Interpol red corner against 18 Tripura ultras who are suspected to be hiding in Bangladesh.
Most of the North-East rebels have set up their camps along the border districts for motivation and logistical supply for their activities while ISI camps are located deep inside Bangladesh territory. Cox Bazar area has turned out to be the major centre of illegal arms and drug trafficking. Though India and Bangladesh have set up a coordination committee at ground level between the Border Security Force and Bangladesh Rifles to check infiltration and illegal activities along the border, it has failed to yield result. But Begum Zia refuses to accept the existence of North-East ultras in her territory. Last month, India charged Bangladesh with failing to take action against the North-East militants who have set up their camps. This led to diplomatic wrangling between the two countries.
In another incident the nexus between ISI operatives and Bangladeshi agencies came to the fore when ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah was granted fake travel documents to visit foreign countries last year. Earlier, a Pakistani diplomat based in Dhaka had provided a fake passport to Baruah in March 2000, in the name of Kamaruzzaman Khan to visit Lahore and Dubai.
(ADNI)