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The Sentinel, Guwahati, February 12, 2003 IST

B’desh Communist leader echoes India’s concern over ISI, al Qaeda

From our Correspondent
SILCHAR, Feb 11: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s crucial meeting with the chief ministers on Saturday has an alarming message for the North-east region in particular due to the increasing activities of the ISI and al Qaeda in Bangladesh and the attempts by the radical forces in that country to push in illegal migrants.

Quite significantly, the Prime Minister’s statements on this grave security threat to the region have been corroborated by the Bangladesh Communist Party chairman Mazrul Ehsan Khan, who during his interaction with Marxist leaders in Kolkata the same day went on record, saying, "how could ISI and al Qaeda become active without the knowledge of the Khaleda Zia Government?"

He also admitted that the "BDR was pushing in Bangladeshis to India".

Of concern is the entry of Osama bin Landen’s deputy Ayman al Zawahir who was spotted by RAW’s electronic surveillance system, moving around Mymensingh and Sherpur. The Union Home Ministry has alerted the BSF about his sojourn who, an inside source says, "is maintaining close coordination with Islamic United Reformist Protest Against India (IURPI), an umbrella organization of all the Islamic extremist outfits of North-east.

Zawahir’s mission is mischievous. He has put in his brain and brawn behind the training of young Bangladeshi Mujahideens in CHT-based small-shifting camps raised on typical guerrilla technique by around 200 al Qaeda members from Afghanistan.

An inside source confirms that not less than 50 clandestine Madrassas in CHT and Cox’s Bazar are shelters for al Qaeda and their trainers.

A mercenary from CHT told The Sentinel, "the young Mujahideens are being detailed in sophisticated Russian, Chinese, US and German arms and ammunition with the passionate mantra of "amra sobai hobo Taliban, Bangla hobe Afghanistan" (We are Taliban in the making to make Bangladesh Afghanistan). The mercenary however failed to throw any light on the whereabouts of the deputy of Osama.

As BNP Government’s partners Jamaat-e-Islami and Islamic Oikya Jote have intensified their hate-India campaign, some Bangladeshi towns and villages are emerging as transit points for arms shipment to the North-east.

Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, Habiganj, Mymensingh, Rangamati, Khagracheri, Bandarban, Sherpur, Moulvi Bazar, Netrokona, Comilla and Sunamganj are known rendezvous of North-east extremist groups.

The Union Home Ministry has provided Dhaka tell-tale accounts of the locations of 103 bases of the North-east militants is that country. The volatile scenario speaks of the nexus between Directorate or General of Forces Intelligence of Bangladesh with the ISI in extending all logistic and lethal support to the in-house and outside Jehadi groups. The North-east states have enough cause for worry.