Posted on 01/24/2005 1:02:39 AM PST by Srirangan
NEW DELHI, January 18: Pakistan has launched “Operation Pin Code” against India from Bangladesh territory and has shifted almost 200 terrorist training camps from Azad Kashmir to Bangladesh, an official Home Ministry document, prepared by Minister of State for Home Affairs, S. Regupathy, has revealed.
The document, entitled ‘Pakistan’s Alternative Proxy War Base’, obtained by the South Asia Tribune accuses Pakistan’s intelligence services of developing Bangladesh as a new base for their anti-India activities.
The Regupathy Document lists at least seven reasons for this shift in strategy:
1. The India Bangladesh border geographically is porous and difficult to keep under close surveillance due to its riverine configurations in the West and hilly terrain in the North East and East.
2. Incomplete fencing on Indo-Bangladesh border. Out of total length of 3,287 kilometers sanctioned for fencing, only 1,502 kilometers has been fenced so far.
3. Bangladesh’s border configuration rests on vulnerable Indian states like West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
4. Bangladesh territory provides ISI with multiple ingress routes to these sensitive Indian states.
5. Bangladesh territory sits astride squarely on India’s strategic “Siliguri Corridor” through which narrow corridor runs India’s slender communication links with its seven North Eastern states. Pakistan’s ISI can play havoc against this corridor from Bangladesh territory.
6. The borders of Nepal and Bhutan, states that enjoy close links with India as non-Islamic states of South Asia, are within close reach of Bangladesh territory. Pakistani ISI is already said to be operating against these countries with linkages to anti-national groups.
7. In a belt running parallel to the borders with Bangladesh and significantly deep, reside large sections of illegal migrants from Bangladesh, exploitable by Pak ISI.
It, however, explains that India has never ever viewed Bangladesh in an adversarial perspective. “Not even when for reasons of domestic politics, a section of Bangladesh polity has made anti-Indian stances as a plank to gain political mileage.”
“But Bangladesh is being exploited by Pakistan as a new base as it has shifted camps from the POK to Bangladesh. There are more than 199 camps in Bangladesh being run by Al Qaeda fugitives and the ISI,” the Regupathy Document says.
It explains that due to international pressure and to evade international attention from Kashmir, Pakistan has transferred these training camps to Bangladesh.
A senior Bangladesh diplomat in New Delhi, however, categorically denied the Indian Home Minister’s allegations against his country.
Press Minister of the BD High Commission, Mr. Anwarul Haque, told the South Asia Tribune the charges made by Regupathy were "a hoax."
“There are no training camps. Yes there are seminaries but they do not train militants. They impart religious knowledge. I reiterate my country’s commitment that we will not allow our land to be used as a launching pad”.
He said: “Bangladesh is an ally in the global war against terrorism. How can we let terrorists use our land for nefarious activities? We can understand India’s concern, but we have said umpteen number of times that Bangladesh would never allow its soil for terrorism and there is no such activity going on from our side. It must be clear to everybody.”
But the Indians insist they are right. RS Mushahary, Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) told the South Asia Tribune: “We have definite and authentic information about militants and anti-India activities going on in Bangladesh. Al Qaeda elements are there who are being trained under the patronage of the ISI.”
“We also know that militants in Bangladesh have chalked out ‘Operation Pin Code’ under which they want to train 20,000 Muslim youth from West Bengal and North-Eastern States of India.
Mushahary alleges that the Operation was being funded through the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank and the fund will be used for training and infiltration into India”.
Indian officials say the separatist armed groups of the Northeast States have close links with the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI). Among the fundamentalist organizations present in Bangladesh are the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NFLT), All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA), the Achijk National Volunteer Council (ANVC), the Chakma National Liberation Front (CNLF) and the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD).
Bibhuti Bhushan Nandy, a former Indian intelligence official told the South Asia Tribune: “How Bangladesh can deny the presence of the ISI and other militants in the country? Let me remind the Bangladesh authorities that on January 20, 2001, six persons were killed and 50 others injured in two separate bomb blasts in Dhaka. Home Minister Mohammed Nasim held JEI and its affiliates responsible for the attack. Water Resources Minister Abdur Razzaq accused the ISI for having masterminded the blast.”
“Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina herself has often blamed the violence on the forces who oppose Bangladesh’s independence and want to destroy the Bengali culture”, he said.
Nandy says: “The Khaleda Zia Government, which has been in power in Dhaka since 2001, looks upon the fundamentalist and Jihadi elements as its allies. Though the BNP is by no means a fundamentalist party, she wants to use these elements to keep India destabilized externally and to weaken the Awami League and its allies internally”.
“Ms. Zia has shown no desire or inclination to act against either the anti-India elements from our North-East or the Jihadi terrorist elements which pose a threat, not only to their own country and India, but also to the South-East Asian region and the world as a whole. It has given a free hand to its military-intelligence establishment, which continues to collude with the ISI,” he added.
Highly placed sources of the Indian Home Ministry say that at Jamait-ul-Madarsaa in Mohammadpur area of Dhaka, representatives of the BD Jamaat-e-Islami recently held a clandestine meeting attended by several militants besides representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hasan Abdul Rahmat Sardar, KA Usman Ghani along with the Industry Minister of Bangladesh, Maulana Mutiur Rehman. A senior official of the ISI, Brigadier TK Buksh, was also said to be present with Maulana Mutiur Rehman, the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami.
The BD diplomat denies that any such meeting was held. Said Press Minister Anwarul Haque: “I have no knowledge about this meeting, but even if such meeting has held, then what is the crime our minister has committed? After all the Jamaat is a coalition partner of PM Khaleda Zia. How can you say that the ISI and militant representatives attended the meeting? This is all a hoax!”
These kind of threads are not meant for FR. Nobody is interested in the terrorism that India faces.
“Bangladesh is an ally in the global war against terrorism. How can we let terrorists use our land for nefarious activities? We can understand India’s concern, but we have said umpteen number of times that Bangladesh would never allow its soil for terrorism and there is no such activity going on from our side. It must be clear to everybody.”
an ally??WHAT A BLOODY JOKE!!!Bangladesh not only has anti india militants but a large number of al queda fugitives.
by the way what has it done to prove that it is a so called Global ally against terrorism?
these days the meaning of "ALLY" has changed.
what countries like pakistan and bangladesh do is manufacture terrorists(against india),make them global and then sell them to the United states,thus earning not only a lot of forex but also a GLOBAL ALLY TAG.
"Those not interested could have not opened it."
--If you are talking about me than let me tell you that I am an Indian. And what I said was more out of frustration.
These days countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are the "front-running" allies.
Countries like India after taking 70,000 body bags against terrorists are now asked to stay quiet.
How many of these 70,000 are Muslims or Christians among the body count killed by Hindus or Indian forces?
Just for clarifications sake.
This is nothing new. Indians were shouting hoarse for the last 20 years about islamic terrorism and the US ignored us.
But its also time Indians realized that we have to fight our own battles and we have to fight them hard. Even if the "international community" doesnt like that.
Regarding FR, well its an american forum so not many folks are interested in issues related to India. YOu are better off at Bharat Rakshak or some other forum if you want to discuss Indian defence issues.
This is definitely not Indian defence issue it is what I believed was Global War On Terrorism, but then I dont think we are part of it.
How many of these civillians died as a result of Indian military operations?
Far less than the number of Iraqis in Iraq that died as a result of American military operations.
A vicious blow, and he's down for the count.
....Or for that matter Afganistan, Vietnam, Yugoslavia and atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki......far far less than any of these.
I am not denying the fact that civilians have died as a result of the Indian military operations but for the Indian military operations the civilians were never the targets but same is not the case with terrorists, mercenaries and Pak army. It is a low intensity "proxy" war going on and there are going to be casualties.
How many of these civillians died as a result of Indian military operations?
the figure is negligible(compared to the number of civilians killed by terrorists).also this is because of sheer frustration(a proxy war by pakistan coz they dont stand a chance on the battlefield)
these pakistani sponsored terrorists not only attack the army in kashmir but also the civilians(including muslims).If there was no terrorism there would have been no presence of the army in kashmir.No country can allow terrorists on their land.
let me tell u something about the history of kashmir.
in 1947 kashmir(majority muslim population)was ruled by a hindu king.As india and pakistan became independent,pak was given its fair share of land and india got its share.the hindu king decided that kashmir would be an independent state.however pakistan was opposed to this(coz they thought that kashmir had more muslims and forgot that india had more muslims than pak) and sent infiltrators into kashmir.the king asked for india's help and a M.O.U was signed making kashmir a part of india in return .Even then our prime minister went to the UN(a stupid mistake)and pakistan was given a part of kashmir(POK)[do u think any other country would have allowed something like this to happen?] Still our islamic neighbour is not satisfied.
and let me tell u tht there have been very few indian army related civilian deaths.All these years the pak media have actually magnified and exaggerated them .Till recently there was a TV program which actually proved that the info given by the pak national news(EVERYDAY!) was ALL CRAP.
for example once the pak national news showed that a school was bombed by the indian army in srinagar.the media went to that location and were shocked to see that the school was intact and nothing had happened.
Also in 2002(i think),there was a foreign journalist(probably american or british)who conducted a survey and found that 61% of kashmiris(including those in POK)wanted kashmir(including POK)to be a part of india while many others wanted kashmir as an independent state.
Also the civilian deaths in pok are much much more than that in J&K but is not reported by the pak media(POK is not democratic whereas J&K is democratic as they had general elections in 2002).
[WELL I'VE TRIED MY BEST TO GIVE U ALL THE FACTS THAT I KNOW ]
"Nobody is interested in the terrorism that India faces".
Well that's not very true.Every sensible country in this world knows that pak is a fragile islamic country which when provoked will not hesitate to gift Al queda with nuclear weapons(and the world very well knows the consequences of this).I am not giving u my views but this is actually a fact.My Math professor's ex-student is now into politics and is an important part of the BJP.this info was given by him to my prof who finally told this to my dad.
That may be true but the fact remains as Arjun rightly says that we have to fight our own battle with or without international support (and if necessary be prepared to expect the international community going against us.) Pakistan mind you still has tremendous support even in the US (thanks to their strong lobbies) and they enjoy complete support in the Muslim world. China is always behind them and Europe is neutral when it come to Indo-Pak conflict. That leaves only Russia and Isreal to back India. Which is why it is so important for India to be strong enough so that we can fight our enemies alone alone.
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