India yet to inform Bangladesh on West Bengal blast

India is yet to 'officially' inform Bangladesh about anything over the blast in India's West Bengal in which members of banned outfit the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were allegedly involved, says State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

He told reporters at his office on Wednesday that he had got to know of the matter after an Indian newspaper editor had called him.

But the Indian government was yet to inform “us about anything officially,” Kamal said adding measures will definitely be taken if they communicated.

“Not an inch of Bangladeshi soil will be allowed to be used by militants for terrorism activities," said the junior minister.

A blast on Oct 2 at a house at Bardhaman's Khagrhagarh left two people killed, who the Indian intelligence officials suspect to be members of the JMB.

Two women – Amina Bibi and Rajira Bibi – were also detained from the house that day. They were subsequently arrested after interrogation.

During the interrogation, they reportedly also revealed that the bombs being made in that house were meant to be used for terror attacks in Bangladesh.

Quoting government officials, a Hindustan Times report had said they had smuggled bombs into Bangladesh four times in the last three months.

On Monday, a high alert was sounded across West Bengal while security along its border with Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries and states was beefed up.

The Times of India in a report on Tuesday said India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) may seek a dossier from Bangladesh regarding terror links across the border.

It said since the suspected militant Shakil Ahmed, who was killed in the blast, was a Bangladesh national, the agency wanted to get details on movement of militants from Bangladesh to India and vice versa.

Ahmed had obtained an Indian voter ID card after sneaking into Nadia district and started a business in Murshidabad's Beldanga.

"The BGB and the BSF hold regular meetings on different issues. The ins and outs of two countries are discussed there. Both the countries are serious about tackling militancy," Kamal told reporters at the Secretariat.

He claimed the law and order situation was under control during the Eid vacations.

"No untoward incidents occurred anywhere. The law enforcers were on strict vigil all the time."

Regarding the 'encounters' in Khulna and the Sundarbans only a day before the Eid that killed 13 suspected robbers, the junior home minister said, "People in that area were living in fear of Kashem Bahini. The locals had chased them too that day. Those 13 died in a gun battle with police later."

He said several policemen were injured in that incident.