Cannot confirm on the strength of HNLC: BSF

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 30, 2021

BSF Inspector General (IG) Inderjit Singh Rana on Thursday said they cannot confirm the present strength of the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) in Bangladesh. 

“We cannot confirm how many HNLC cadres are there as we don’t have the exact figures presently. Whenever we are having the exact figures we will let you know,” Rana told journalists at the sidelines of a surrendering ceremony of the HNLC Area Commander Junel Tongper at Umkiang in East Jaintia Hills District. 

When asked about the HNLC camps in Bangladesh, the BSF IG said, “We don’t have the exact locations we are trying to find out with our sister agencies and local police whenever we get the exact locations we will share with the media and our counterparts in Bangladesh.”

He further said that the BSF will continue in its effort to bring back misguided youth, who have been lured to militancy, to mainstream.

“We cannot predict all these things as situation keep on changing but we will keep on trying to bring them back,” he added. 

The BSF IG also said Tongper’s decision to surrender will also help send a good message to members of the outfit, who wants to come back to mainstream. 

“Some of them will be coming back if we treat him (Tongper) very well. However, again I will say the situation is dynamic in nature,” he added.

When asked about Tongper’s rejoining the outfit last year, Rana however assured that this time the former cadre will not go back. 

He also asserted the need for the community to support Tongper so that he will not go back to the other side.

Rana also blamed unemployment and lack of motivation as some of the reasons for youths to get easily swayed to join militancy.