Agartala, April 26 : The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan is trying to open up a new corridor for exporting terror into India through the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Nepal border, BSF director-general M.L. Kumawat said here today.
This has happened because of the tightened security measures along the country’s western border with Pakistan, he added.
On whether the Taliban posed a threat to India, he said: “The Taliban has been wreaking havoc in Pakistan but we still do not have specific information about the nature of threat they pose to India.”
He said the present Bangladesh government had launched operations against anti-India militants based on its soil and “this is showing in the increasing surrender of militants to security forces in the Northeast.”
“Indian militants are still there in Bangladesh. During our last meeting, the BDR DG, Moinul Hassan, assured us of action against them. We also requested the BDR to hand over militants of Ulfa and other banned outfits to us. Though the matter has not progressed much, we hope the BDR authorities will act positively,” Kumawat said.
Speaking on the positive aspects of barbed wire fencing along the border Kumawat said there has been a tangible decline in trans-border crimes and illegal movement of people.
“Fencing has already been completed on 642 of the state’s 856km border with Bangladesh. In due course, 718 km of the border will be brought under floodlight coverage,” he said, adding that out of targeted construction of altogether 934km of border road in Tripura, work on 726km has already been completed.
When pointed out that opening and closing of border gates were posing problems to the local people, Kumawat said he had issued instructions to the local BSF authorities to keep people’s interest in mind on the issue.
“We will have altogether 895 border gates and work on 750 has already been completed. I have instructed local authorities to be more sensitive to the needs and grievances of people.”
He added that in Tripura, BSF currently has 206 border outposts, which will be raised to 246 within the next three years.
Kumawat also said the BSF was currently working on modernisation at all levels, and within the next three years, 29 more battalions would be added to the force for better border management.