The Border Security Force claimed on Monday that 192 camps of various militant outfits of the north-east existed in Bangladesh. "Some of the old camps were removed and some new camps have come up. Earlier, there were 205, now there are 192," BSF's Inspector General A K Ghosh told reporters.
"These camps exist in Mymensingh, Sherpur, Rangamati, Molavi Bazar districts and Chittagong Hill Tracts," he said.
Asked if the reduction in number of camps was an indication of action taken by authorities in Dhaka, as demanded by India, the IG said some old ones were removed but new ones have come up.
On Bangladesh's persistent denial of any camps on its soil, the IG said that for obvious reasons, no country would ever admit militants' existence within its territory. Despite these denials, he said, India would continue to ask Bangladesh to dismantle these camps.
The BSF IG's statement came just a couple of days after Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang voiced concern over the existence of camps to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him to take it up through diplomatic channels.
On another BSF claim of ULFA leaders running hotels and bank accounts in Bangladesh, which was made public last year, the IG said Dhaka officials had indeed found those accounts but under 'different names'. However, before anything could be done, money was withdrawn from those accounts. Even names of the hotels were changed.
