Friday, March 31 2006 14:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Agartala: BSF Director General A K Mitra has said the border force is facing a major challenge from Islamic terrorists from Bangladesh who are using eastern India to operate in different countries of the region.

Mitra, making his first visit to the country's eastern frontiers after assuming office, told sources here last night (Mar 30, 2006) that Indian insurgents were also using Bangladeshi soil to conduct subversive activities in the country.

Asked to comment on observations by defence experts that Bangladesh is emerging as 'an exporter of global terrorism', Mitra said "the Islamic terrorists from Bangladesh have chosen a route through eastern India to enter into different countries. Our force is facing a major challenge to contain the menace."

BSF Director-General also said "the 4000-km long eastern border is porous. So we are alert and would increase strength of forces in the border and modernise it with sophisticated gadgets."

He, however, added that although the Bangladesh government has recently taken some initiative against the fundamentalists in their country, "we have to remain alert about them."

Conceding that a large number of madrasas have come up on both sides of the border and also on the Indo-Nepal border, Mitra said he had "no direct evidence they are using them as the factory for producing islamic militancy."

Mitra said that the ongoing construction of barbed wire fencing along the Indo-Bangla border would help in checking infiltration and trans-border movement of insurgents.

Fence is another task for the border guards

"We must remember that the fence is just a physical barrier and now we have taken initiative for lighting the fencing because guarding the fence is another task for the border guards," he said.

The senior BSF official said managing the Indo-Bangla border is a more difficult task than surveillance of the Indo-Pak border, as Bangladesh was not termed as a 'hostile country.'

"Besides guarding the border properly, we need more trade-related activities with Bangladesh and if trade and commerce activity increases, it would be beneficial for both countries," he added.

Mitra said there could be free trade zones at some points along the border where people from both countries would be allowed within a 10-km radius of the border without passport and visa but with valid permission.

He said that adhering to the 1975 border guidelines, the fencing is being done at a distance of 100 yards from the border and added that the problems of people living near the border should be sorted out at the political level.