A charitable hospital in the Bandabari area of Bangladesh near Indian border is allegedly being used as a major gun-running centre by an American citizen, according to highly placed sources.

"Al-Habina Medical Centre" in the neighbouring Cox Bazar, being run on a charitable basis by an American doctor, was actually a hub of gun-running operation in Bangladesh, sources said. The doctor running the institution was a mercenary providing arms to the insurgent groups in the North-East, Bangladesh and Myanmar, sources said, adding that the alleged gun-runner was an independent operator and not patronised by any intelligence agency. But a recent Defence Ministry report indicated that the medical centre was also being used as a covert Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) office to assist the rebel groups, sources pointed out.

The report also said the medical centre had allegedly acquired six ambulances for ferrying leaders of the ultra groups in Bangladesh for organising anti-India rallies to indoctrinate local youth to join their fight. A high-frequency antenna had also been installed at the centre for coordinating the anti-India activities among various groups, sources stated.