KOCHI: An enemy’s enemy is a friend. It seems insurgents of the North-east states are helping terrorist/fundamentalist elements in the country, most of whom happen to be operating in the South, to cross over to Bangladesh.
Union Home Ministry officials said that though the two groups operated from different platforms, they seemed to have reached an understanding on helping each other in ‘logistics’ and arms smuggling.
“The terrorists cross to Bangladesh through the Northeastern states, where the terrains are not easy for a person from other parts of the country to negotiate. One needs to have strong local support to move about and cross over to Bangladesh,” an official said.
The Indian side of the Indo-Bangla border runs through West Bengal (2,217 km), Assam (263), Meghalaya (443), Tripura (856) and Mizoram (318 km). Home Ministry (Border Management) Secretary Vinay Kumar said the work on fencing of the entire Indo-Bangla border( 3,287 km) was progressing.
“We’ve taken all steps to check trespassing and completed fencing of 2,536 km of the border so far. Work on the remaining portion will b e completed i n two months,” he said.
State Intelligence officials said they had launched an investigation to ascertain how LeT suspect Thadiyantavide Nazeer managed to reach Bangladesh, from where he was reportedly arrested.
“We suspect that certain migrant labourers hailing from Bangladesh and employed at various construction sites in Kerala, have been helping the terrorists cross the border. An investigation is on to check whether natives of Northeastern states currently living in Kerala are helping them sneak into Bangladesh,” said police sources.
“IB and RAW officials are reportedly interrogating Nazeer. They’ll collect details of the ways and means used by Nazeer to reach Bangladesh,” they added.
