Special Correspondent
Dhaka has reiterated that no camps of Indian terrorists exist inside Bangladesh territory.
Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan told newsmen yesterday that the government agencies made thorough enquiry about existence of Indian terrorists’ camps in Bangladesh, as alleged by New Delhi.
"The agencies enquired according to the list supplied by the Indian side, but no such camp was found", Morshed Khan told a questioner adding, "We have already conveyed our findings to India,"
Responding to another question on possibility of selling gas to India, the Foreign Minister rejected the speculations in this regard and said the issues were not raised during Finance Minister Saifur Rahman’s recent visit to India.
Explaining Government’s position on gas issue, Morshed Khan said Bangladesh would take decision on exporting gas if the reserve is found surplus after meeting domestic requirement keeping a reserve for the future.
The Foreign Minister also referred to his discussion with his Indian counterpart Yashwant Sinha in London on the sideline of the CMAG meeting. "The Indian Foreign Minister also said that question of exporting gas is an internal matter of Bangladesh", Morshed Khan said.
About the possibility of Bangladesh-India summit level meeting, the Foreign Minister said Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia has already invited Indian Premier Atal Behari Vajpayee to visit Bangladesh.
"Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia already visited India during her first term in office and it is now Indian leader’s turn to visit Bangladesh", he added.
He told a questioner that the SAARC Standing Committee comprising Foreign Secretaries
of the member states would meet in Kathmandu soon which would pave the way for
holding SAARC summit.