EXCLUSIVE | Bangladesh – A safe haven for insurgents from Northeast India?

~~By Ibankyntiew Mawrie

SHILLONG, Oct 4, 2017: The divulgence of details on the presence of HNLC's training camps in Bangladesh by a 17-year old cadre who surrendered in Shillong on Tuesday is a stark contrast to the claims made by the Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB) recently who stated that there are no militant groups from India who are taking shelter in Bangladesh.

Recently, during the four day conference of Inspector Generals of BSF and Region Commanders of Border Guards of Bangladesh in Shillong, the BGB Additional Director General, Md Zahid Hasan denied the presence of Northeast militant outfits' camps stating that "These are only perceptions."

However, the surrender of a young HNLC cadre only proved Hasan's statement wrong as the surrendered cadre clearly stated that he was undergoing training in Bangladesh but since the training camps were more of a labour camp for the cadres, the 17-yr old lad called it quits on the HNLC.

Reacting to the contradictory statements, Dy Inspector General BSF Meghalaya Frontier Umesh Singh Nayal told TNT- The Northeast Today while accepting that there are small militants' camps in Bangladesh, there are however, no established camps being set up in the Indo-Bangla border areas.

The BSF official informed that most of these cadres work in the orchards owned by their commanders in Bangladesh. "The top leaders of HNLC live luxurious lives while their small-time cadres live like slaves," Nayal said adding that these young cadres are recruited with a sole purpose of committing nefarious crime for the HNLC like extortion, kidnapping besides subjecting them to manual labour.

When asked how the HNLC top commanders manage to purchase land and not get caught, Nayal said that most of them go by different names and manage to acquire dual citizenship both in India and Bangladesh.

"These militants are not likely to come to India. They get married in Bangladesh, acquire citizenship and purchase land, some of which are hard to trace. They blend in very well with the people there so it becomes all the more difficult for us to trace them," Nayal said adding that the BGB have been alerted on these matter and they are keeping a check on such activities.

In the name of orchards, these plantations in Bangladesh are also used as training grounds making it hard for the law enforcers to track their movements, said Nayal adding that while the HNLC uses this tactic, the GNLA on the other hand mostly comes under the radar for the usage of border routes to cross over from one country to another.

Sources informed that the GNLA mostly come to Bangladesh for a period of time but hardly stay for long. It was also informed that the GNLA mostly prefer to train in the thick jungles of Garo Hills.

In a fresh case of a lapse in manning the borders, it was reported that GNLA chief Sohan D Shira who was all this while believed to be in Garo Hills is said to have crossed over to Bangladesh to undergo treatment in Bangladesh due to his poor health.

For many years, Bangladesh has become a headquarter of the militant outfits from the Northeast and the Indo-Bangla border Meghalaya stretch is a common transit point.

RECRUITMENT OF CHILD SOLDIERS

The BSF informed that both the HNLC- Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council and GNLA are trying to recruit new cadres mostly targeting school going children by making tall promises. "But as per information, most of the boys they have recruited have come overground and surrendered due to many obvious reasons," Dy Inspector General BSF Meghalaya Frontier Umesh Singh Nayal said.

"The testimonies of the surrendered cadres speak volume of the kind of training they impart" says Nayal adding that there is a large gap between the Commander and the cadres. "To lure the young boys, the top leaders fooled them with elementary training which happens only once or twice a month but most of the times, these boys were made to work in the field and if not that, they make them do commit theft, extortion, kidnapping to expand their wealth — only their own," he added.

Like many surrendered cadres of the HNLC, the 17 year old youth who surrendered before the police yesterday highlighted the pathetic living condition of the cadres in Bangladesh. "They make us do unnecessary work and this prompted me to run away ," he said adding that they undergo 2-3 training in a month and has been under training for the past one year now.

GNLA-ULFA (I) LINK

For the past two-three months, intelligence inputs suggest that the GNLA has recruited 10-15 local boys and has requested ULFA (I) chief Dristi Rajkhowa to impart training to these youth. "But as per information, the request is yet to be accepted by ULFA (I) though it is a glaring fact that the GNLA and ULFA are in constant touch," said the BSF official.

It may be mentioned that the GNLA and ULFA (I) have been working together for the past many years and this fact was substantiated by the claims made by surrendered senior cadres and close aides of Sohan. The surrendered cadres claimed that ULFA (I) would often come to impart training to the GNLA cadres or cadres are sent to Assam/Bangladesh for training under Rajkhowa. Besides training, ULFA was also said to be helping GNLA with purchasing weapons.

Last year, it was reported that ULFA (I) has been helping GNLA get sophisticated arms. In return, the rebels extend logistic support to the outfit.

The ULFA (I) has been using the impenetrable turf of GNLA for training purposes and as a transit route. In exchange, the latter received expertise in other forms of guerilla training.

Recently, photos (unconfirmed) of GNLA Chief and ULFA (I) chief training together in Garo Hills were leaked and circulated in social media, though the same is yet to be confirmed by intelligence agencies.

Though the picture is yet to be authenticated, sources informed that for the past many months, Rajkhowa has been hiding in Garo Hills. Besides the photos, there have been evidences of the Ulfa(I)-GNLA joint operations following some arrests and surrenders of GNLA cadres along with ULFA (I) cadres.

(The writer can be reached at mawrie.iban@gmail.com or iban@thenortheasttoday.com)