Zero NE insurgent camps on Bangladeshi soil, says BGB official

From Our Special Correspondent, TNT News | Dawki, Aug 26, 2018: 

The joint military operation between the Indian and Bangladesh security forces in flushing out Northeast militant groups, seeking shelter in the neighbouring country, has reduced the chances for outfits to temporarily set up a safe haven along the international borders.

Confirming this, the Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB) Commander of Sylhet sector, Muhammad Nasiruddin assured that no insurgency camp exists along the Meghalaya-Assam international border with Bangladesh.

"I assure there is no insurgency camps along the Assam and Meghalaya Indo-Bangla border," Nasiruddin told newsmen on Saturday.

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It may be mentioned that under the Sheikh Hasina government, Bangladesh had upped its cooperation with India in cracking down on the Northeast militants within its borders. Several insurgent leaders have been informally handed over at the borders.

The two border forces have since 2015 been conducting simultaneous and coordinated patrols of the frontier to check crime and insurgency.

For the past many decades, the BSF has been handing over a list of insurgents to Bangladeshi border guards during every director-general-level meeting.

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Interestingly, a banned militant outfit of Meghalaya — Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) has been operating from the neighbouring country for the past many years and though its presence and strength is declining, as claimed by the police; sources informed that its leaders are still very much in Bangladesh and currently operating from across the border.

Stressing that there is no insurgency camp and if anybody wants to take the chance the BGB are going to handle it strictly, Nasiruddin said that both the countries are sharing cordial relationship with each other and they want to continue doing so.

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Elaborating further, he said that in the future as well, they do not see the possibility of a camp coming up as it is a highly populated area and it is difficult for the insurgents to get inside and mix with the people as they can be easily identified and handed over to the police.

Meanwhile, BSF Commandant, SR Khan said that increased patrolling in the area has made it difficult for insurgents to carry out their activities.

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