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Journalism of Courage
Taking note of New Delhi’s concerns about North East militants operating out of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has told the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka that her government ‘‘will do all it can’’ to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terror attacks.
Khaleda Zia conveyed this to High Commissioner Veena Sikri when they met in Dhaka yesterday.
Delhi, on its part, is not letting a Bangladesh court observation — it spoke of a ‘‘foreign hand’’ behind the bid to assassinate Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina on August 21 — disturb its focus and deteriorate ties further.
Realising that North East insurgency and militancy cannot be tackled without cooperation from Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Government hopes to to have an ‘‘expanded but firm’’ engagement with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Morshed Khan to deny the militants sanctuary across the border.
Khan is reaching Delhi on October 22 to invite Prime Manmohan Singh to the Dhaka summit of the SAARC in January.
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Rs 100-cr for Bangla
flood relief |
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NEW DELHI : In line with the PM’s offer of humanitarian assistance, India has announced relief aid of Rs 100 crore to Bangladesh, an MEA spokesman said. |
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Official sources said the Government will provide specific details and evidence of N-E outfits operating out of Bangla territory.
While it will remind Dhaka of its commitment to international protocols on terrorism, Delhi has no plans to take any punitive action.
In fact, the Government will take the line that there are tremendous trade and other bilateral opportunties ahead and the two sides must cooperate to fight terror.
Bangladesh Commerce Minister Ameer Khasru Chowdhury, who will be here next month, will also be told of Indian plans to rectify the trade imbalance between the two countries.
There’s also a realisation on both sides to go easy on the rhetoric. It’s learnt that Bangladesh Rifles chief Major General Jehangir Alam Chowdhury was pulled up for speaking out of turn during the BSF-BDR meeting last week.
New Delhi too does not want High Commissioner Sikri to get ‘‘too jumpy’’ over the North East developments, suggesting that the entire blame for the October 2 attacks in Assam and Nagaland cannot be placed at Dhaka’s doorsteps.
