Act Now

AT a time, when even the western world is admitting that terrorism is posing a serious threat to mankind, the approach of Bangladesh towards this menace is quite perplexing, to say the least. Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner Md Touhid Hossain strongly refuted New Delhi・s persistent claims that his country・s territory was being used by North-East militants and that there was large-scale illegal influx of Bangladeshi nationals into the region. ：We deny the presence of North-East militants on our soil although the  Indian authorities have presented to us a list of 195 camps allegedly set up by various militant groups from the region in Bangladesh,； Mr. Hossain told a Press conference in Shillong recently. ：I think there is a clear difference between the militant camps in Bhutan and the allegation of such camps in Bangladesh. While there was no confusion about the militant camps in Bhutan, there is no evidence of such camps in Bangladesh,； Mr. Hossain added. Without stopping here, the Bangladesh envoy continued with his tall claims and claimed that after India presented the list of 195 camps, Bangladesh initiated an inquiry and found that there was no Indian militant on Bangladeshi soil. ：We also disagree with the logic of the Indian government. As per Indian government figures, there are only 1,500 militants in the 195 militant camps. If this is to be believed, then each such camp should be occupied by no more than eight to ten militants,； Mr. Hossain argued. He also said that an invitation was sent to New Delhi two years ago to assess the ground realities over India・s claim and that the latter was yet to respond. There is no need to asses the ground realities in Bangladesh. The recent happenings in the neighbouring country clearly justify Indian claims. No matter how vociferously Bangla denies its link with the militants, the fact remains the country has become a major hub of fundamentalists and terrorists. Cosmetic actions, such as banning one or two fundamentalist organizations will not be able to clear the mess. We all know the reasons behind the arrogant approach of Bangladesh. The present day Bangladesh rulers are heavily dependent on fundamentalist forces for their survival. But it should do well to remember the words of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. During his latest visit to India Mr. Blair categorically described terrorists as ：a minority who seek to destroy civilized values. It arises out of the evil ideology. It is utterly destructive. To prevent the destruction, Bangladesh should act now.

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