Some "criminal elements in India" had colluded with similar groups in Bangladesh to stage the Aug. 17 countrywide bomb blasts, said Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) chief.

BDR Director General Major General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury made the remarks at the end of a three-day talks with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi, The Daily Star reported Saturday.

The BDR chief said it is in fact the criminals from India who had infiltrated into Bangladesh and in conjunction with local criminals perpetrated the serial blasts.

Indian Border Security force (BSF) Director General RS Mooshahary denied the allegation and said there was only one Indian among over 500 people arrested in Bangladesh after the bombings.

The arrested Indian national named Niazuddin had been living in Bangladesh for the past 17 years, he added.

The government of Bangladesh issued order to nab masterminds of the blasts long ago but so far police could not make any headway in this regard.

The law enforcing agencies of Bangladesh continued to hunt for the terrorist network against the backdrop of serial bomb blasts that rocked the headquarters of 63 districts out of 64 on Aug. 17.

The Aug. 17 countrywide chain-bombing was a combined attack of two Islamic extremist groups and a faction of an underground ultra- leftist party, said intelligence agencies investigating the unprecedented bombing attacks.

The talks between the border guards of the two countries ended with divergent views reigning on issues like border fencing and cross-border Infiltration.

The question of fencing of the 4,095 km border between the two countries by India remained unresolved with Bangladesh resisting India's move, contending that the fencing has "a defensive structure" attached to it.

On cross-border infiltration, BDR stuck to its stance that there are no insurgent groups operating inside Bangladesh territory while BSF maintained that Indian insurgent leaders are holed up in Bangladesh.

Both the sides, however, agreed on confidence building measures through stepping up of simultaneous and coordinated patrol along the border.

Source: Xinhua