NEW DELHI, November 10 (IslamOnline) - Talking tough, India has asked Bangladesh to close down militant training camps existing in that country and hand over insurgents taking shelter there, asserting that they are getting support from Pakistan's military intelligence (ISI).

India has handed over to Dhaka a list of 99 training camps existing in Bangladesh, pinpointing their exact locations, and a list of 77 insurgents, including some leaders, and nine criminals who have been arrested by the authorities there, Indian government news agency PTI reported today quoting official sources.

Indian Border Security Force director general Ajay Raj Sharma furnished the list of 99 terrorist camps to Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Chief Rezakul Haidar in New Delhi last week.

The action by New Delhi comes despite repeated denials by Dhaka about existence of the training camps for Indian North-East insurgents. Recently Bangladesh Rifles Director General Maj Gen Rezaqul Haider during a meeting with his Indian counterpart Ajai Raj Sharma strongly refuted these claims.

The training camps, whose list has been prepared by the Indian security agencies, includes 25 camps run by the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), 20 run by All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and 18 by National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM).

The list also includes 10 training camps run by People's Liberation Army (PLA), 17 by United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), two by National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), two by Muslim United Liberation Tiger of Assam (MULTA), three by Achik National Volunteer Council, one by Chakma National Liberation Front (CNLF), and one by Dima Halam Daoga, sources said.

New Delhi is also preparing to sign a pact with Bhutan on destroying similar terror bases in the landlocked country.

Interestingly all these outfits are ethnic groups which are fighting against the Indian administration or against dominant ethnic groups in their respective regions. Even this list's lone Muslim group too functions as an ethnic group trying to protect its interests against encroachment by other ethnic groups which often lead to bloody clashes. Many of these groups are decades old and have no Al-Qaeda connection.

Indian deputy prime minister LK Advani, who holds the home portfolio, had on Nov. 7 openly accused Bangladesh of harboring terrorists and becoming a centre of Al-Qaeda activities.

Speaking in Bhiwani Advani had voiced serious concern over growing activities of ISI and Al-Qaeda in Bangladesh and asked the international community to treat the Pakistani intelligence agency at par with terrorist outfits like the Taliban. "After the change of government in Bangladesh, there has been an increase in the activities of the Al-Qaeda and ISI there," Advani said adding that Dhaka's support to the militants was "covert." He said that all insurgent groups of North-East are getting refuge in Bangladesh."

Bangladesh vehemently denied Advani's allegations next day. Bangladesh foreign secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said on Nov. 8 that reports on the existence of these outfits are "baseless and motivated". "There cannot be any question of giving sanctuary to any element inimical to either country. We expect such comments will not be made in future for the sake of existing friendship between the two countries," the Bangladeshi official spokesman said.

This all started last month when Time Magazine came up with a story claiming that Bangladesh is emerging as a new staging ground for Al-Qaeda. In a detailed story from Chittagong, a magazine reporter claimed that a fleeing batch of Al-Qaeda and Taliban found shelter in Bangladesh.

The US ambassador in Dhaka contradicted the Time magazine report. Ambassador Mary Ann Peters said on October 21 that the US embassy in Dhaka follows terrorism issues closely and had no evidence to support the allegations in the Time report. But Advani lapped up the story simply because the current government in Dhaka is not pro-Indian. In fact, whenever Hasina Wajid is voted out, New Delhi rediscovers Dhaka as a source of all its troubles on the eastern borders and raises the issue of the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh government Sunday, November 10, said it wanted warm ties with India, and reiterated that it does not allow its territory to be used by any terrorists. The statement was made by Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shamser Mobin Chowdhury in Dhaka.