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Author: Pramod Kumar Singh
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: July 24, 2006
Investigations into the 11/7 serial blasts have pointed towards the involvement of Bangladesh trained terrorists. It is now becoming clear that those who executed the plot at the behest of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) had clear links with Bangladesh-based terrorist groups.
The porous Indo-Bangla and Indo-Nepal borders facilitated their entry into the Indian territory.
Security agencies have found evidence suggesting that al Qaeda and Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) are running terrorist training camps under the tutelage of Bangladesh Army.
According to an intelligence estimate, there are 190 such camps in Bangladesh, a fact that the Begum Khaleda Zia Government refuses to accept despite the damning evidence furnished by India from time to time.
Intelligence agencies claim that Lashkar commanders have been using their recruits in Bangladesh for launching subversive activities on the Indian soil.
The Mumbai Police and intelligence agencies have traced phones calls made to Bangladesh before and after the train blasts.
Investigations revealed that calls were made to Pakistan and Afghanistan too.
Terrorist training camps being run in the south western region and adjoining areas of Bangladesh are breeding grounds for anti-India activities. These terror camps are close to the borders of West Bengal, Tripura, and Meghalaya. The hill districts of the Chittagong region, which share a border with Mizoram, are also being used for training "hate India" outfits. Afghan war veterans have trained many recruits. Sources say, Saidpur Regimental Centre of Bangladesh Army is also being used to train 100-odd deserters of the Indian Army.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources are disturbed by these developments, saying these have the potential of threatening peace in the South Asian region and beyond if left unchallenged.
The Islamist fundamentalism, religious intolerance, terrorist outfits with links to terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden, a powerful military having links with religious fanatics, the mushrooming of schools churning out radical students, lawlessness--all are combining to transform Bangladesh into a terror hub. The situation is so grim that it poses a direct challenge to the stability of the South Asia region.
Intelligence sources say al Qaeda is running at least 13 terrorist training camps in Cox Bazar, Sunderban, Chittagong, Rangmati and Brahmanberia. Harkat-ul-Jihadi-e Islami (HuJI) of Bangladesh is also running subversive training centres from madarsas situated at Rangmati and Sylhet. Intelligence sources say, terrorist outfits active in Bangladesh have come under the umbrella of International Islamic Jihad Front with the active assistance of HuJI. According to intelligence reports, HuJI alone is imparting training to over 15 thousand subversives.
What has been worrying the Indian security agencies is that many Bangladeshi fundamentalist outfits have strong connections with their Pakistan counterparts and have been receiving money from Islamic countries. There are credible reports that at least 10 Islamist NGOs are funding various fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh and they are also providing funds for providing logistics to trigger unrest in India.
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