India involved in Bangladesh blasts: BDR

NDTV: "The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Director General today claimed that India had a hand in a series of blasts that rocked Bangladesh on August 17. The accusation came at joint press conference between India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bangladesh Rifles.

The press conference had started on a cordial note, with both sides trying to play down the serious differences on issues like border fencing. But the trouble came when the BDR chief was asked about the August 17 serial blasts, and his reply stunned the Indians.

The Indian government reacted by saying it was deeply shocked and dismayed at the remarks. "The government of India is deeply shocked and dismayed at the remarks made to the press by the visiting DG of Bangladesh Rifles today, alleging that some persons had gone across from India and were involved in the serial bomb blasts," " an Indian official said.

"This is a baseless and scurrilous allegation and is all the more shocking because it has been made against a friendly country and particularly after the two countries have had useful and constructive talks," he added. The radical Islamist group Jamait Mujaheedeen Bangladesh, whose leaflets were found at the blast sites, was thought to have been behind the blasts.

The accusation was surprising, as Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh had been in Bangladesh just a week before the blasts, and both countries had pledged to work together on border insurgency issues. But today's allegation made it clear that the distance in perception between the two countries has not really narrowed.

India found support from former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Secular Awami League party has long been targeted by Islamic groups. Hasina herself survived an assassination attempt in August 2004 at an election rally, where 21 people were killed.

"The Bangladesh government is not serious about curbing these groups. Whenever something like this happens they either blame India or the opposition," she said.

The Indians had thought that the August blasts would awaken the Bangladeshis to the perils of religious fundamentalism.

But today's statement clearly means that any cooperation between the two countries is a long way off."