Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged New Delhi to flush out Bangladeshi terrorists operating from India.
In an interview with Kolkata-based Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, the premier said: “India needs to take action to destroy Bangladeshi militants operating from India much in the same way as Indian militants have been obliterated from Bangladesh’s soil.”
Expecting same tough stance from India as Bangladesh’s to combat terrorism, she further said: “We have destroyed the bases of the anti-Indian terrorists from our soil, we have kept our promises, we have not spared anybody… now it is India’s turn.”
Replying to a query, she said it was painful to know that “Bangladesh’s terrorists are getting sanctuary in West Bengal and hatching a conspiracy against the government.”
Mentioning about the recent incident of Burdwan blast, she said: “The people of West Bengal, who had extended total support to the Bangladesh liberation war, will not tolerate such a thing.”
She also uttered severe warning against those who were “patronising militancy and hatching plot against Bangladesh.”
She said: “The result of backing militant effort cannot be good and all should remember it.”
She assured the Delhi government that Bangladesh was extending full assistance to the Indian investigation in the Burdwan blast case and a Bangladesh team would visit India soon.
PM’s statement came after India's top counter-terrorism agency has uncovered a suspected plot by a banned militant group to assassinate the prime minister of Bangladesh and carry out a coup.
The alleged conspiracy was discovered after two members of the group were killed in an explosion while building home-made bombs at a house in West Bengal in eastern India earlier this month.
Indian police say the militants were Bangladeshis and were using India as a safe haven to plan the attacks.
"The strategy was to hit the political leaders of the country and demolish the democratic infrastructure of Bangladesh," said a senior Indian Home (interior) Ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"This was all being planned on Indian soil and we could have been blamed if there was an attack."
Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Monday visited the house where the blasts took place and met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss the situation.
The revelations come against a backdrop of political friction earlier this year between Indian nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Banerjee.