Shillong, Sept 26: Terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden has been funding jehadi training for raising suicide squads from among 25,000 youths including many from the Northeast in Bangladeshi madrasas, senior NCP leader P A Sangma said here. At least 421 madrasas in the neighbouring country were training youths for the creation of suicide squads with funds given by the Al Qaeda chief, Sangma, who is a vice-president of the South East Asian forum against fundamentalism based in Dhaka, claimed while talking to newspersons last evening quoting an 'authentic' report in his possession.

The South East Asian forum which has Prof Shahryar Kavir, a noted filmmaker of Bangladesh, as President have members from South Asian countries, including Pakistan. "If we cannot see this sitting next to the country, what are we here for?" Sangma asked quoting from the report, which he said, was published six months ago with the situation being still very relevant.

Sangma, a former Lok Sabha speaker, also claimed that the number of fundamentalists organisations in Bangladesh had grown by leaps and bounds recently.

Pointing out that India has always been a shelter for minorities from neighbouring countries when they faced problems on the infiltration issue, Sangma said, "But we oppose those coming illegally on a day-to-day basis." Bureau Report