SHILLONG, Nov 30: The BSF Meghalaya Frontier DIG, D. Haokip on Tuesday informed that the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) does not have any camp inside Bangladesh.
Talking to reporters, Haokip informed that few of the cadres used to visit Bangladesh on and off as they have relatives and supporters across the border.
According to him, the number of cadres of the HNLC are very few.
He said that Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs) were taking shelter in Bangladesh but stated that it was difficult to provide the exact number.
BSF Meghalaya Frontier DIG said that the inputs suggested that the IIGs were still having dens in certain areas of Bangladesh and particularly in Chittagong Hill Tracts and few bordering areas along the Meghalaya Frontier.
He, however, said that the Bangladesh Government and also the BGB had always denied the presence of IIGs in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Haokip said that number of seizure of cattle which are smuggled to Bangladesh has decreased drastically after the Assam Government had come up with the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021.
BSF Meghalaya Frontier DIG said that as per the data, the number of cattle seized by the BSF has come down as compared to last year.
According to him, they have witnessed that the number of seizures had come down after the Assam Government had come up with a legislation fir its prevention.
Further, he informed that 70 per cent of the border fencing of the international border with Bangladesh in Meghalaya has been completed while 30 per cent is still incomplete due to various factors.
Haokip said that the problem of land acquisition is one of the major factors which delays the completion of the border fencing adding that the majority of stretch where the fencing is still incomplete is in East Khasi Hills and in a few patches of Jaintia Hills region.
According to him, the demand of the local residents to erect the fencing from the zero line is not possible due to the international norms which are binding to both India and even to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh.
The BSF Meghalaya Frontier DIG said that the fencing would have to be erected beyond the 150 yards.
He said that the fear of the local people that many of the agricultural lands will fall into Bangladesh if the fencing is erected beyond 150 yards from the zero line does not arise since the international border is well demarcated.
