SHILLONG, May 10 – A senior intelligence official has favoured initiating people-to-people contact with Bangladesh on the lines being done with Pakistan, and marshalling of world opinion against safe sanctuaries being provided to the North East militants to usher in a “more secured environment” in the region. Stating that some Bangladeshi groups were supporting Pakistan’s ‘proxy war’ with India and preferred Islamabad as a ‘preferred model’ with a view to “cut India to size”, Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) Joint Director JM Chaudhury stressed the need for a ‘track-II’ diplomacy with Dhaka.
“The people-to-people contact with Pakistan was overwhelming and the same could also be pursued with Bangladesh,” he told a seminar. Besides, India should muster international support on how the militants of the North East were getting safe sancturies in Bangladesh, notwithstanding the neighbour’s claim otherwise, Chaudhury told the seminar earlier this week on ‘Militancy and Security in India’s North East: the role of neighbouring countries’. The seminar was organised by the Indian Council of Social Science and Research, American Centre of Kolkata and the North Eastern Hill University here.
“India’s North Eastern neighbours are not following the gospel truth of love the neighbour as thyself but ‘neighbour’s neighbour is our friend’ appears to be more true to them,” he said, adding the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) of Bangladesh has turned a “blind eye” to insurgency problems in the North Eastern India.
Dhaka always denied existence of militant camps in its soil although the latest reports in Time magazine and an intelligence report confirm insurgents presence there, the SIB official said. Citing a recent instance of arms seizure in Chittangong, Chaudhury said the consignment was meant for the North Eastern militants – which was ‘confirmed’ by the Mayor of the city.
He said there was 'resentment' among some Bangladeshi groups (about India) and these outfits have links with ‘Islamic militants’ of Pakistan as the major insurgent groups were ‘encouraging’ the smaller outfits for its ‘self-interest’. Thanks to some ‘political patronage’ to ‘radical Islamic’ militancy, Bangladesh has been the major factor for continuance of insurgency in the North East, Chaudhary said.
Chaudhury asserted that Bangladesh continued to provide ‘sanctuaries’ to the North East militants and said not only ULFA and NDFB but militant outfits like ATTF, NLFT, NSCN (I-M), HNLC and ANVC have also have also their bases in the neighbouring country.