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Tension on Tripura border with Bangladesh |
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Tension simmered along the border of South Tripura district with Bangladesh last week over the abduction of a person by Bangladeshi anti-socials, followed by the kidnapping of a Bangladeshi by Indian villagers.
Bangladesh Rifles jawans fired several rounds at a BSF outpost, inviting retaliation from Indian jawans. However, peace was restored the next day when both the hostages were exchanged after a flag meeting.
Police sources said a group of Indian villagers was working at a paddy field in Kalikapur village near Hrishyamukh border outpost, close to South Tripura’s border with Pheni district of Bangladesh in Belonia subdivision. At 3 pm, a group of Bangladeshi villagers intruded into Indian territory and abducted a 35-year-old farmer, Sanjib Baidya. Villagers of Kalikapur retaliated by abducting a 38-year-old Bangladeshi national, Nasu Mia. A large number of Indian and Bangladeshi villagers gathered on the border.
The BDR jawans opened fire on the Hrishyamukh border outpost. The BSF jawans posted there returned fire. Sources said the BSF and BDR officers got in touch with each other and a flag meeting was held this morning. The captives were then exchanged. BSF sources said Tripura’s entire 856-km border with Bangladesh has been put on high alert in view of the aggression displayed recently by the BDR jawans. Sources pointed out recently that the BDR jawans had opened fire upon an Indian jetty being constructed in a border area in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
Terrorist camps being shifted
According to media reports, camps of the North East militant outfits are being shifted to remote Teknaf area in Bangladesh bordering Myanmar to evade detection.
In spite of the clear stand taken by BSF director-general Ajay Raj Sharma and later Union Home Minister L.K. Advani over base camps and hideouts belonging to militants of the North East on Bangladeshi soil, the Khaleda Zia government appears to have done precious little to dismantle such camps or arrest their inmates even after the army crackdown began.
Shortly after Advani charged the Bangladesh government with sheltering militants of the North East, the External Affairs Ministry there firmly denied the allegation. However, after a few days, the Bangladesh government agreed to order an inquiry.
But according to feedback received by Indian agencies monitoring the movement and activities of these militant outfits as well as confessions by surrendered rebels, there has been no substantial change in the scenario within Bangladesh.
According to reports, after the Indian reaction over the issue, the Bangladesh army and its intelligence wing, the Directorate-General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) are currently helping the militants relocate their camps from different parts of Bangladesh to the thickly wooded Teknaf area on the country’s border with Myanmar.
Till recently, there were more than 100 camps and hideouts belonging to militants located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Dhaka, Sylhet, Habiganj and Maulvi Bazar districts of Bangladesh on the borders. Of these, at least 51 belonged to the banned All-Tripura Tiger Force and National Liberation Front of Tripura. But after the army crackdown and Advani’s sharp reaction, officers of the Bangladesh army and the DGFI have directed the militants to relocate the camps to remote Teknaf area bordering Myanmar.
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