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Bangladesh rejects Vajpayee's charge

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA Feb. 10. Bangladesh has rejected the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee's assertion that "terrorists of Nepal and Bangladesh were being used by Pakistan's ISI to pursue anti-India agenda''.

A press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said: "Bangladesh would find it extremely regrettable if any such statement has been made from anyone or from any level." The Government is trying to ascertain the "exact nature of the statement'', the Ministry said, adding "Bangladesh, would, however, like to strongly reiterate its principled policy of not allowing its territories to be used for subversive purposes against any other country, including India. The policy of the government of Bangladesh in this regard is firm and well known''.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) in a joint statement have called for resolving the push-in dispute through bilateral discussion. The parties condemned the "communalisation" of the border issue.

The statement was crafted on the basis of discussions between the CPB delegation, led by its president, Manzurul Ahsan Khan, and the CPI leaders, headed by its general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, on the sidelines of the national council of the Communist Party of India, reports here said.

The opposition Jatiya Party chairperson and former President, Gen. H.M. Ershad, accused the Khaleda Zia Government of creating the "push-in problem". The Begum Khaleda Zia Government had officially admitted about the "illegal Bangladeshis" in India in 1992 by signing an agreement. "Therefore, we now lack moral standing to protest the push-in attempts by India'', he said.

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