Minister of State for External Affairs Ajit Kumar Panja said that India was jointly working with the neighbouring countries to check drug trafficking, which he said was the main source of fund for the North-East extremists. Mr. Panja, who visited Tripura recently said that the neigbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Mayanmar were now exchanging information on regular basis about drug trafficking, military and other international crimes with India.

"Our neighbours have now realised that drug trafficking and militant activities are harmful for all of them," Mr. Panja observed. "We (the neighbouring countries, including India) have decided to stop drug trafficking as it is that main source of fund for the militants to purchase arms and ammunition and to maintain their other expenditure," Mr. Panja said, adding that all these countries were working closely to stop  the menace. He said the neighbouring countries have now realised that drug trafficking, militancy, giving shelter to the extremists and smuggling of valuables did not help them in any way and should be checked immediately.

About the base camp and the training of North-East militants in Bangladesh, Mr. Panja said Dhaka was trying to demolish these camps and refusing shelter to the NE guerillas. It would take some time to destroy all the militants camps in Bangladesh, he added. Dhaka and New Delhi were exchanging information on militancy on a regular basis and Nepal and other neighbouring countries are also helping in this regard, he said.

Mr. Panja said the proposed Dhaka-Agartala bus service on the lines of those between Calcutta and Dhaka would start soon. He said the formalities for the Dhaka-Agartala bus service was on the verge of being finalised and the only hurdle is the 16-km road tract on the Bangladesh side which is now being developed to international standard, he pointed out. The External Affairs Minister said the Dhaka-Agartala bus service would be a new year gift for the peoples of both the countries. New Delhi would request Dhaka to introduce transit visa for Indians after service was started, he added.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said the Bangladesh Government in a communique sought to change the route of the proposed Agartala-Dhaka bus service in the view of the bad road condition of a 20-km stretch on their side. Dhaka now wants the bus route through Srimantapur in West Tripura’s bordering subdivision Sonamura instead of Akhaura, which is two km from this capital town. Bangladesh had asked the State Government if it had any objection to the new proposal, the Chief Minister said.