New Delhi, February 13
The Vajpayee government has handed over to Bangladesh “evidence” of 99 terrorist training camps being run in that country with the help of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

Top sources in the government said while India was “willing to go more than half way” if Bangladesh wanted to address the Indian concerns and mend bilateral relations, it was not sure whether the mission of Bangladesh Foreign Minister Mohammad Morshed Khan — who arrived here today on a four-day visit — was actually to improve relations or to use the Indian media like Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf did in Agra in 2001.

It is understood that the Vajpayee government had made available to Bangladesh the exact locations and other details of the 99 terrorist camps which were being run in the Bangladeshi territory very close to the Indian border.

Sources said in recent past India had twice shared with Bangladesh the “evidence” of terrorist activities going on in Bangladesh — one on December 4, 2001, and second in October 2002. The Indian “evidence” of October last was far more detailed and point-specific and also gave the names of 88 North-east insurgents who were arrested and jailed by the Bangladesh authorities.

But on each occasion Bangladesh officials came out with the stock reply that they had investigated and no truth was found in the Indian complaints.

“There can be only two explanations for this: either we are imagining all this or they are not cooperating. The Government of India has no interest whatsoever in increasing tensions with Bangladesh. If there is a fresh thinking on the part of Bangladesh, India would go more than the half way to improve bilateral relations a top official in the government said.