Friday, August 19 2005 16:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Terming the large-scale terrorist violence in Bangladesh as 'worrisome', Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee today (Aug 19, 2005) said the development in the neighbouring country has its impact in India.

"Developments in Bangladesh are worrisome and the rise in terrorist activities in a neighbouring country has its impact on India too," Mukherjee told reporters in Kolkata.

He said, "Even though we are deeply concerned at the developments, we cannot do much about it as we cannot interfere in the affairs of a sovereign state."

"We have expressed our concern to the Government of Bangladesh and we do hope Bangladesh Government will be in a position to keep the situation under control," Mukherjee said.

The minister said he was in agreement with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee's observation that terrorist activities were on the rise in Bangladesh.

Asked whether the incomplete border fencing work was posing a problem in checking infiltration, the Defence Minister said that fencing along 541 kilometres had possibly been completed.

"A problem is that the border passes through someone's house, while people have begun living on no man's land. The border demarcation is not very absolute, but the work is progressing nevertheless," he said.