B’desh probing Pak intel link to Rohingya terrorist groups

KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Dhaka is investigating whether Pakistan’s Inter-services Intelligence has established any link with Rohingya terror groups, a senior Bangladeshi minister said.

“We have received intelligence inputs about the ISI’S link with the Rohingya militant elements. We are investigating it,” road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader said in Kolkata.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said more than 8.59 lakh Rohingya have taken refuge in Bangladesh, fleeing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where the army launched a crackdown after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked police and army posts on August 25.

The Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government has in the past blamed Pakistan for terror activities in Bangladesh.

Quader made no bones about his government’s prickly relations with Pakistan. “They should remember Bangladesh is ahead of their country in all development indicators,” he said.

INDIA COMMITS $25 MN TO DEVELOP RAKHINE India has pledged $25 million to develop Rakhine State from where thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh following the crackdown.

“The amount of commitment is $25 million over five years, which is an indicative figure and depends on the actual requirement and utilisation,” external affairs ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday.

The two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in this regard during foreign secretary S Jaishankar’s visit to Myanmar on Wednesday.

It is the first government-togovernment agreement signed by the ministry of social welfare, relief and resettlement of Myanmar with a cooperation partner focused on socio-economic development and livelihood initiatives in Rakhine State, the external affairs ministry said.