Calcutta, Jan. 22 :    Calcutta, Jan. 22:  Calcutta and the rest of Bengal had become vulnerable to terrorist strikes, thanks to the obsession with political correctness, flourishing human rights lobbies and an ill-equipped police force, officials said today. 'Besides being a happy hunting ground for human-rights activists, the nexus between police, politicians and criminals is very well-lubricated,' a senior additional commissioner of Calcutta Police admitted. The city police's special branch, now facing flak for failing to provide prior information about the attack on the American Center, has evidence to suggest that political leaders sheltered youths who joined militant groups. 'There are records in two east-Calcutta police stations about a couple of ministers and senior legislators sheltering criminals,' an official said. A huge colony of Bangladeshi illegal immigrants that has come up on the banks of the Hooghly has made the city more vulnerable. 'The police tried to evict the settlers several times but were forced to give up because of political pressure,' officials said. Officials also blame too much championing of 'underdogs' as another malaise, which interferes with effective governance. Police officials accuse a senior minister of distributing ration cards 'at random'. 'Despite sufficient evidence that the ration cards were issued to illegal immigrants at the instance of the minister, we could not take any action,' officials linked to the probe said. 'The porous India-Bangladesh border in the state is preferred by subversive elements for sneaking into India. We are forced to turn a blind eye because of the compulsions of the ruling party,' said an official. On an average, 50 illegal Bangladeshi arms carriers are caught every month, officials said. 'A few arrested miscreants have divulged that they were trained in Pakistan,' they added. Asif Reza Khan alias Rajan - killed in a 'shoot-out' in Gujarat by the police recently - and his brother, Amir Reza Khan, both hardcore members of the Harkat-ul-Jihadi-e-Islami, utilised this 'fertile' ground, according to information with the intelligence branch and the CID. They exploited the lax security to recruit youths, officials said. According to investigators, Amir is in Lahore. Hamid Khan of Beniapukur, Arif Mohammed (Mafizul Islam Lane), Sheikh Akber (J.J. Khan Road), Syed Amiruddin (Churi Mohalla), Syed Mustafa Hussain (Tiljala) - all in their early twenties - were recruited by Amir and taken to Pakistan for 'advanced training in sophisticated weapons'. Police also found that Aftab Alam, a close associate of Amir, had taken a dozen new recruits from Rajabazar and Narkeldanga to Mumbai.