Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
Shillong, Aug 29:
India today asked Bangladesh to deport 113 militants, including ULFA Chairman A Rajkhowa and general secretary Anup Chetia, living in that country and to dismantle 172 camps run by North Eastern insurgents in its territory, officials said.
The matters were taken up on the first day of the three-day bi-annual meet between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), and senior BSF officials said top leaders of the outlawed UNLF, PLA, KYKL and NLFT figured in the list of 113 militants "whose deportation had been asked for".
The list of 172 insurgent camps was handed over to the 10-member BDR delegation headed by Deputy Director General Brigadier General SM Golam Rabbani with a request to dismantle them at the earliest.
BDR authorities "did not reject our contention" as they had done in the past, but said "we are trying our best to find out", the officials said.
On the deportation of Chetia, the BDR said the Bangladesh Govt would take a decision on the issue shortly.
Citing intelligence inputs on militant camps and hideouts, the BSF urged the BDR to take action, saying the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of Bangladesh had recently seized a number of arms from some of them.
The Bangladeshi officials, who voiced serious concern over terrorism and militancy, said they would take suitable action.
The unprovoked firing by BDR in Assam's Silchar-Karimganj sector, obstruction in border fencing, illegal migration, smuggling of arms and adverse possession of land also figured in the discussions.