Dhaka terror strike: Home Ministry sounds high alert in border areas

Alarmed by the terror attack in Dhaka in neighbouring Bangladesh, the government on Saturday sounded high alert in states bordering that country, including West Bengal, Tripura and Assam.

Official sources said here that the Union Home Ministry has directed the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies to keep strict vigil along the international borders.

"Adequate security measures need to be taken in border areas of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya," an informed source said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh got a briefing on the situation in Bangladesh from senior officials in the ministry and security agencies.

Reports received so far said personnel of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka were safe, sources said.

Bangladesh has lately seen an increase in militant Islamist violence.

Home to about 150 million Muslims, Bangladesh has for long been able to ward off Islamic radicalism and the Sheikh Hasina government in particular has been widely considered to be committed to secularism.

However, Islamic fundamentalism of the Wahabi and Talibani variety has of late "plagued" a section of the Bangladeshi society as manifested in attacks on secular writers, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, according to Indian intelligence agencies.

"Apparently it all moved according to a set pattern," an informed source told IANS.

Official sources said Tripura and Assam governments have reported to the central government in recent past the activities of a few Bangladesh-based Islamic organisations which, "could have also aligned to the ISIS" mainly in terms of getting funds and identifying "raw recruits".

The government has advised the media to exercise self-restraint in reporting on the situation in Bangladesh as "sensationalising" things would not help fight terrorism.

"We have always considered Bangladesh a friendly country and the administration and the security forces there would do its best to fight terrorism," the source added.