BD Press:Sylhet border tense as Indian BSF builds road inside Bangladesh

From new age bd

File Photo of BDR personnel confronting Indian BSF soldier:wordpress.com

Government-level decision was necessary before initiating a move like construction of any structures along the border

Friday October 09 2010 

Panic gripped the people living in the border areas in Sylhet frontier as the Indian border security force continued constructing a road and a bridge some 150 yards inside Bangladesh in Goainghat upazila still Thursday ignoring protests from the Bangladesh Rifles.(The New Age BD )

Sources in the BDR and local residents said BSF personnel took a sudden move on October 1 to construct a road over a stretch of 230 acres inside Bangladesh along the border pillar 1270 and 1271 near Pratappur BBR outpost with a plan to build a bridge there.

The BDR protested at the Indian border guards’ activities and requested BSF officials concerned to stop the construction work.

But the BSF continued the construction work saying that they were just repairing an old road and not building any new structures in the area.

After repeated request from the 21 Rifles Battalion, the BSF at first agreed on a joint survey to be conducted by the company level officers of both sides to ascertain the ownership of the land over which the road and bridge were being constructed, sources in the BDR said.

But, the BSF official concerned backed away from the agreement on the plea that the company level or battalion level authorities had no right to conduct such a joint survey of a disputed land. The BSF said that the matter should be discussed at the state level.

The BDR sources said there was no deputed land in the Pratappur border as par the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974. The matter was settled by the then governments of Bangladesh and India.

BDR’s Pratappur outpost in-charge nayeb subedar Shahed Ali told New Age on Thursday that the BSF had continued constructing the road and the bridge inside Bangladesh territory since October 1, despite repeated protests from the BDR.

Layek Ahmad, a resident of Hazipur village along the Pratappur border said the BSF men were constructing the road to connect their Padua camp with the zonal headquarters of the BSF.

‘We fear clashes between the two border guards. We will have to suffer in the event of a border skirmish because we have to leave our homes…,’ he said.

When contacted, 21 Rifles Battalion’s commanding officer lieutenant colonel Khairul Kadir told New Age on Thursday evening that the BDR was watching the situation.

He said the BSF authorities did not respond positively so far despite the BDR’s repeated requests over the issue.

‘We have informed our higher authorities about the matter,’ the BDR official said.

He told New Age that a government-level decision was necessary before initiating a move like construction of any structures along the border.

‘So far as I know, no such decision has been taken by the Bangladesh and Indian governments,’ he said.

http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidRecord=337774

Push back of infiltrators suspended

From IBN Live

PTI Oct 09,2010

Push back of infiltrators suspended Karimganj (Assam), Oct 9 (PTI) Push back procedures of Bangladeshi infiltrators along the Cachar-Mizoram border has been suspended for the time being in the absence of any extradition treaty with that country, BSF sources said today."There are several legal problems and everytime we catch infiltrators we have to officially inform Bangladesh High Commission," BSF sources at the Maisashan border told PTI.In view of the problem, push back procedures at Maisashan in Karimganj district and Golakganj in Dhubri district of Assam have been stopped.BSF authorities are, however, in touch with Bangladesh High Commission on the matter, the sources added.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/push-back-of-infiltrators-suspended/395932.html

Different shades of police uniforms leave athletes guessing

From delhigames.com,

Ashwini Srivastava 

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) 

Contrasting shades and patterns of uniforms donned by over one lakh security personnel guarding the 19th Commonwealth Games have not only left the foreign athletes and officials guessing but also Indians too. Many can be seen and heard chatting with the security personnel wanting to know which force they are from and what specific duty they do.

"In the beginning, it (different uniforms) really evoked curiosity in me. But now I understand that these men have different roles and responsibility and that is why they wear different uniforms," said Muzique, a Kenyan athlete, who was perplexed because black dressed commandos escorted him when he was out and those wearing a lighter shade uniform protected him inside the Village.

The over one lakh security personnel including commandos were drawn from various forces like Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Delhi Police and the elite commando force National Security Guard (NSG). While CRPF personnel are donning a new ''disruptive combat pattern'' of the Khaki with their force emblem on the left arm, the ITBP men wear a snowy-white patchy pattern of the Khaki.

Likewise, the BSF is sporting a dark-green camouflage combatpattern whereas the SSB personnel are wearing a spotted dark olive green. CISF squad can be seen in plain Khaki shade.

To top it all, there is also the Delhi Police in the trademark ''Khaki'' and the NSG commandos-- seen escorting athletes and VIPs-- in distinct black nomex overalls. "It is the first time I have come to India.

In our country, all security men wear same coloured uniform. But here, I see different shades of dresses," said Charles Angueil, an athlete from the Isle of Man.

Kuelo, from Botswana asks with curiosity, "It has really surprised me seeing these security force personnel wearing different uniforms. If there job is one, why do their uniform differ.

" Athletes and officials from various Indian states are also curious to the same extent as they get to see the troops from these central forces wearing different acronyms of their forces on their shoulders. The 12-day-long sporting extravaganza, being hosted by the country for the first time, will end on October 14.

Over 7,000 athletes from 71 nations are participating in the grand sporting event.

http://delhigames.info/articles/2010/10/09/tsp-different-shades-of-police-uniforms.html

ITBP suffers first casualty in fight against Naxals

From The Business Standard R Krishna Das/Kolkata/ Raipur - Oct 09,2010 The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) suffered its first casualty in its fight against Naxal guerillas in Chhattisgarh as rebels blew up a jeep and killed three jawans of the para-military force in Rajnandgaon district today morning. The jawans were returning from the Maharashtra border after patrolling when the incident took place. The rebels detonated a powerful landmine that blew up the vehicle in which they were traveling in. The incident took place near Kahoka village in Manpur--about 120 kilometres from the district headquarters of Rajnandangaon, Superintendent of Police B N Meena said. Three jawans were killed while another sustained serious injury, Meena said. The victims were identified as Dilip, Dinesh and Shibu. The incident took place a few yards from the Kahoka police outpost. This is the first casualty suffered by the ITBP deployed here to combat the red army. In all, five battalion of the force had been posted in Chhattisgarh as part of Union government's reinforcement for the state to fight the Naxalites. The ITBP had been working with a new strategy in its operation by launching a campaign to win over the confidence of the villagers besides area-domination mission in the Naxal-infested pockets. The attack has also seen as Naxal's new plan to target the para-military force deployed in the state. The rebels had escalated attack on the central force this year. In a meticulously planned operation, Naxalites had killed 75 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) near Talmetla in Dantewada district on April 6. In August, rebels attacked a team Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Kanker district, killing three jawans and injuring two others in an ambush near Bhuski village. http://wap.business-standard.com/storypage.php?id=0&autono=410761

Musharraf's Siachen advice ruse to get attention: Experts

From Yahoo.news

Oct 9

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf's formula to improve India-Pakistan ties by first resolving the Siachen and Sir Creek issues before tackling the Kashmir dispute may have some merit, but its timing shows that he is merely trying to get into the limelight, strategic affairs experts said here Friday.

'What he says has some merit, but more than that, it is the timing of the statement which is of primary interest,' said Savita Pande, professor of South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Musharraf told the Hindustan Times in London Thursday that India-Pakistan ties could be improved immediately by focussing on the Siachen and Sir Creek disputes and dealing with Kashmir later.

Pande said that in both in the case of Sir Creek and Siachen, India and Pakistan had come quite close to resolution but the last mile was still difficult technically and politically. 'Frankly, what Musharraf has said is nothing new,' she said.

B. Raman, a former additional secretary in the cabinet secretariat, said that Musharraf carried 'no weight'. 'He is thoroughly unpopular in Pakistan. He cannot even step into Pakistan while the current chief justice of Pakistan is there,' he said.

'He just want to show that he is still there and get the limelight,' said Raman.

'It is unsolicited advice from a former dictator who has lost all his credibility,' Ajai Sahni, executive director of New Delhi-based Institute of Conflict Management, told IANS.

'First of all, Musharaf has lost all credibility. He is making a desperate attempt to gain attention and support by launching a political party and making statements. He is not passing on any great wisdom.'

He said the former military ruler had driven his country to a infinitely worse condition. 'His wrong policies worsened the situation in Pakistan and the entire South Asia.'

Sahni said India did not need advice from a self-confessed supporter of terrorism like Musharraf.

In an interview to Der Spiegel, Musharraf had said that Pakistan had helped in training militants, but he later clarified that the magazine drew the 'wrong meaning of his statement'.

E.N. Rammohan, former director general of the Border Security Force(BSF) and a security expert, said: 'Siachen is not a major dispute legally. Musharraf is attempting to exaggerate the issue and earn brownie points.'

Rammohan, who had served in Jammu and Kashmir, said that the Siachen dispute was 'manufactured and exaggerated by the Pakistani side'.

The Siachen glacier is the highest battlefield in the world.

'When the Line of Control (LcC) was demarcated, the demarcation on the glacier was done without much dispute. However, Pakistan created confusion later and has involved China in the dispute too by including the Karakoram Pass issue,' Rammohan said.

Musharraf is trying to exaggerate several minor issues in the guise of resolving the Kashmir problem, he added.

--Indo-Asian New Service

dm-gj/vd/vm

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20101008/890/twl-musharraf-s-siachen-advice-ruse-to-g_1.html

Securing Games

From Mint

Fri, Oct 8 2010.

New Delhi: The on-going Commonwealth Games have turned the city into a fortress. Armed security personnel are a common sight. And the common man being frisked and baggage scans at various places are routine.

For the opening ceremony of the Games, the whole city was literally shut down, including commercial establishments and markets. It is going to be the same for the closing ceremony on 14 October.

According to news reports, about 100,000 military and security personnel, including central paramilitary forces, are on duty in the city. All Games venues are guarded by National Security Guard (NSG), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, who have been put at the disposal of the Delhi Police. CISF is also responsible for the security at Metro stations.

http://www.livemint.com/2010/10/08203356/Securing-Games.html?h=B

Sylhet border tense as BSF builds road

From South Asia Media Net

Friday, October 08,2010

SYLHET: Panic gripped the people living in the border areas in Sylhet frontier as the Indian border security force continued constructing a road and a bridge some 150 yards inside Bangladesh in Goainghat upazila still Thursday ignoring protests from the Bangladesh Rifles. Sources in the BDR and local residents said BSF personnel took a sudden move on October 1 to construct a road over a stretch of 230 acres inside Bangladesh along the border pillar 1270 and 1271 near Pratappur BBR outpost with a plan to build a bridge there. The BDR protested at the Indian border guards’ activities and requested BSF officials concerned to stop the construction work. But the BSF continued the construction work saying that they were just repairing an old road and not building any new structures in the area. After repeated request from the 21 Rifles Battalion, the BSF at first agreed on a joint survey to be conducted by the company level officers of both sides to ascertain the ownership of the land over which the road and bridge were being constructed, sources in the BDR said. But, the BSF official concerned backed away from the agreement on the plea that the company level or battalion level authorities had no right to conduct such a joint survey of a disputed land. The BSF said that the matter should be discussed at the state level. The BDR sources said there was no deputed land in the Pratappur border as par the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974. The matter was settled by the then governments of Bangladesh and India. BDR’s Pratappur outpost in-charge nayeb subedar Shahed Ali told New Age on Thursday that the BSF had continued constructing the road and the bridge inside Bangladesh territory since October 1, despite repeated protests from the BDR. Layek Ahmad, a resident of Hazipur village along the Pratappur border said the BSF men were constructing the road to connect their Padua camp with the zonal headquarters of the BSF. ‘We fear clashes between the two border guards. We will have to suffer in the event of a border skirmish because we have to leave our homes…,’ he said. When contacted, 21 Rifles Battalion’s commanding officer lieutenant colonel Khairul Kadir told New Age on Thursday evening that the BDR was watching the situation. He said the BSF authorities did not respond positively so far despite the BDR’s repeated requests over the issue. ‘We have informed our higher authorities about the matter,’ the BDR official said. He told New Age that a government-level decision was necessary before initiating a move like construction of any structures along the border. ‘So far as I know, no such decision has been taken by the Bangladesh and Indian governments,’ he said. http://www.southasianmedia.net/cnn.cfm?id=669722&category=Security&Country=BANGLADESH

Fake currency seized by BSF

 fROM  The Times of India

Oct 8, 2010

The Border Security Force claimed to have arrested one person and recovered fake Indian currency of Rs 5.03 lakh in his possession at Rajo Ki Gatti border observation post near International Border in Ferozepur. Accused Harbans Lal was caught by BSF during routine frisking while coming across the barbed fencing after tilling his land.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/speednewsshow/6708004.cms

Agni range of ballistic missiles

From army-technology.com

Key Data

Type

Medium to Intercontinental-range ballistic missiles

Country

India

Developer

Defence Research and Development Organisation

Operator

Indian Army

Length

15m (Agni-I), 20m (Agni-II), 17m (Agni-III)

Diameter

1m (Agni-I, Agni-II); 2m (Agni-III)

Agni-I

12,000kg

The Agni series of ballistic missiles was developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme of the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India.

The Agni missile family consists of three deployed variants. The Agni-I is in service with the Indian Army while the Agni-II and Agni-III are due to be inducted by the Indian Strategic Forces Command. A new intercontinental ballistic missile variant, the Agni-V, is also being developed.

Agni-I short-range ballistic missile

The Agni-I is a short or intermediate-range ballistic missile. It was first tested at the interim test range in Chandipur off the coast of Orissa, India, in May 1989.

The missile consists of a single engine. In March 2010, a nuclear-capable Agni-I was test fired from the integrated test range at Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast.

"The Agni-I is a short or intermediate-range ballistic missile."

The strap-down inertial navigation system uses an explicit guidance method. The structure is made of all-carbon composite materials to protect the payload during its re-entry stage. The flight trials proved the long-range capabilities of the missile. The missile can carry a conventional payload of 1,000kg or a nuclear warhead and has a range of 700-800km. These are transported by rail and road, and powered by solid propellants.

Agni-II medium-range ballistic missile

The Agni-II is a medium-range ballistic missile equipped with two solid fuel stages. It was test fired in April 1999 from the IC-4 pad. The nuclear-capable Agni-II was tested by a special strategic command force in May 2010. The missile has a range of over 2,000km and can reach most of the western, central and southern parts of China. A tank missile with top-attack, fire and forget capability was also inducted into service.

Agni-III intermediate range ballistic missile

The Agni-III was test fired in July 2006 from Wheeler Island, but failed to reach its target. It was successfully test fired in April 2007. A third test in May 2008 proved the operational readiness of the missile. With a circular error probable under a 40m range, the missile is considered one of the most accurate strategic ballistic missiles of its range class in the world.

"The Agni-I is in service with the Indian Army."

The two-stage ballistic missile has a diameter of 2m. The first-stage booster weighs around 32t and is made of advanced carbon composite materials, while the second-stage booster weighs 11t and is made of iron-based steel alloy. The missile can support a range of warhead configurations and a total payload of 2,490kg for a range of 4,500km.

Manoeuvring re-entry vehicle

The Agni's manoeuvring re-entry vehicle features an attitude control system and aerodynamic fins. The 4m-long re-entry vehicle consists of five sections, with each section consisting of a two-layer composite structure. The MRV supports a range of payloads in different configurations.

Navigation and control

The Agni series utilises a strap-down inertial navigation system (INS) for flight control and navigation. These missiles incorporate indigenously developed inertial sensors. The Agni-II's missile control system uses an MIL-STD-1553 data bus for all on-board communication and control device interconnection. The system integrates the INS, flight control computer, actuators and sensors.

Navigation and guidance is provided by an advanced ground-based beacon system that uses the time delay of arrival (TDOA) concept. The TDOA continuously provides updates on missile flight position and speed.

Propulsion

The Agni-I is propelled by a single-stage engine powered by solid fuel. The Agni-II is powered by a two-and-half-stage solid propellant engine, while the Agni-III is powered by a two-stage solid propellant engine.

http://www.army-technology.com/projects/agniballisticmissile/?WT.mc_id=WN_Prj

Pak infiltrator arrested on Indo-Pak border in Samba

From The Economic Times
Oct 7, 2010
JAMMU: A Pakistani infiltrator has been arrested by Border Security Force (BSF) troops from a forward village of Indo-Pak border in Samba district, police said here on Thursday. 

Mohammad Tariq (32), a resident of Harbanspura in Lahore was arrested from forward village of Mangu Chak in Ramgarh sector of the district last night, they said. 

Tariq is being quizzed at Samba police station and would be sent to Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) in the next couple of days, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samba J L Sharma said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6705877.cms

Four Bangladeshi nationals arrested on Indo-Pak border by BSF

From The Hindu

PTIA file picture of a wired fence at Indo-Pak border near Jammu. Photo: PTI

Four Bangladeshi nationals were arrested when they were trying to cross over to Pakistan along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu district.

Troops of 122 battalion of BSF were patrolling the International Border when they saw some movement close to zero line near Simbal border out post in Makwal forward belt of Jammu district late last night, police officials said.

The troops challenged the persons and later after a long chase four Bangladeshis were arrested, they said, adding they have been identified as Zameer Alam, Bogan Alam, Mukhtar and Mohammad Bashir of Bangladesh.

They have been handed over to police for further investigations, they said.

http://draft.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3142831484339175368

Removal of 16 CRPF bunkers from Srinagar begins

CENTRE’S PEACE INITIATIVE
From The Tribune News Service
Srinagar, October 5
To implement the Centre’s eight-point initiative on Kashmir, the state government has started the process of removing 16 CRPF bunkers from Srinagar.
The decision to remove the bunkers was taken at a meeting of the Unified Command Headquarters here last week soon after the Centre announced the peace initiative after the visit of an all-party delegation to the state.
Speaking to The Tribune, CRPF PRO Prabhakar Tripathy said: “The process has begun and more than 50 per cent of the bunkers have already been removed from various parts of Srinagar. Most of these are residential-type bunkers in which CRPF jawans, apart from discharging their duties, live”.
Asked whether their removal would result in an increase in anti-national activities in such areas, the PRO said, “Only the bunkers are being removed. The CRPF can be deployed at these places whenever it is required. There are many places in Srinagar city where our men are deployed round-the-clock without any bunkers”.
The state police will provide accommodation to CRPF personnel who have been living in the bunkers.
The bunkers are being removed from the Anganwadi Centre, Wanihama, BD School, Batmaloo, Sonawar, Janab Sahib Soura, Hazratbal, PHC Palpora, Magarmal crossing, Agricultural University, Shalimar, DAV School, Wazirbagh, SDPT, Aloochibagh, Miskinbagh, Firdausabad in Batamaloo, Sazgiripora, Sumkachbal, Common Dental College, Karanagar, and Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla.
Most of the bunkers were constructed much before the CRPF took charge of security from the BSF that was deployed in the city. “The CRPF was always there along with the BSF and the phase-out of the latter from Srinagar started in 2004. In 2006, the CRPF had completely taken over from the BSF and most of the bunkers were constructed prior to that,” Tripathy said.
Meanwhile, locals have welcomed the development, saying that the state and the Central governments are now showing seriousness in implementing the promises they made to people.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101006/j&k.htm#1