117 terror camps on Bangladesh soil

According to the Border Security Force (BSF), all these camps are being used to train terrorists against India.

At least 117 insurgent camps in Bangladesh are being used to train terrorists against India, according to a list given by the Border Security Force (BSF) to their Bangladesh counterparts.

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"During the Director General (DG)-level meeting of border security forces of both sides organized in Delhi on April 9-11, 2008, a list of 117 hideouts was given to the Bangladesh side," Minister of State for Home Affairs Radhika V Selvi told Parliament in a written reply.

"However, information about the specific action taken by the Bangladesh authorities is not available," Selvi added.

Last year, the Indian government had given a list of 141 hideouts of members of Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs) in Bangladesh territory during the DG-level meeting held in Dhaka Oct 24-27.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has also approved floodlighting of 2,840 km along the Indo-Bangladesh border.

"The project will cost Rs. 1327.77 crore (Rs.13.28 billion) and is likely to be completed within five years, i.e. by 2011-12," Selvi added.

The central government has also decided to realign the electrified security fencing along the Pakistan border to bring more than 4,000 acres of fertile farmland back to Indian cultivators.

"The government has decided to shift fencing on the Indian side of the Indo-Pakistan border - 38.015 km in Jammu sector and 22.585 km in Punjab sector."

The fencing realignment is expected to be completed by 2010. The government had begun the fencing on the 3,323 km-long Indo-Pak border to contain infiltration, smuggling and other anti-India activities from across the border.