NEW DELHI: Bangladesh on Friday alleged that "criminal elements'' in India had colluded with similar groups in Bangladesh and were responsible for the August 17 bomb blasts there.

"Yes. It is the criminals from India who had crossed over and along with criminals in our country were responsible for the blasts,'' Director-General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told reporters while speaking at the conclusion of the talks with his Indian counterpart, R. S. Mooshahary of the Border Security Force (BSF).

However, the accusation was denied by the BSF chief who said there was only one person of Indian origin among the 500 arrested in Bangladesh after the bombings in 63 districts. Mr. Mooshahary said the accused person, Ghiasuddin, had been living in Bangladesh for the past 17 years, married a woman there and settled in Bangladesh.

The BSF chief also expressed grave concern over the continuing illegal migration from Bangladesh. A large number of Bangladeshi nationals have spread all over the country causing socio-economic problems, rise in crime and causing a change in the demographic pattern in certain areas.

Mr. Mooshahary said there have been continued attempts of Bangladeshi criminals to commit crime on Indian soil and in the recent past cases of fence breaching by Bangladeshi nationals have increased by 50 per cent.

A majority of such attempts took place at night and the BSF personnel on duty were also attacked with lethal weapons.

Harbouring of Indian insurgents inside Bangladesh was causing a serious threat to the integrity and sovereignty of India.

He handed over a list of 172 Indian insurgents camps inside Bangladesh to the BDR chief.

He named several functionaries of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the All-Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) who had taken shelter in Bangladesh and demanded that they be arrested and handed over to India.

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