India, Bangladesh agree on ULFA leaderAnup Chetia’s deportation

[agamdilawari]

NEW DELHI: Even as Bangladesh on Monday denied a 'deal' in its decision to hand over ULFA leader Anup Chetia to India, the deportation will indeed be part of a 'swap' in which New Delhi will match the neighbouring country's gesture by transferring two Bangladeshi criminals — Subrata Bain and Sajjad Hossain — who are in Indian jails.

Besides, New Delhi also assured Dhaka of coordination with the latter's agencies to track, arrest and hand over the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Though it was a reiteration of India's stand, New Delhi promised to act vigorously on the matter by processing every input from Dhaka on the whereabouts of those who killed Sheikh Mujib. Riasaldar Mosleuddin and another person, wanted for the killing of Sheikh Mujib and several of his family members on August 14-15, 1975, are suspected to be hiding in India.

India reiterated its stand during the home secretary-level talks between the two countries which concluded here on Monday.

"We are working on it (deportation of Anup Chetia). There is no quid pro quo. You will come to know it (about deportation) eventually," senior secretary in Bangladesh's ministry of home affairs C Q K Mushtaq Ahmed said when asked whether there was any give-and-take between India and Bangladesh on Chetia's deportation.

Though Ahmed refused to give any timeframe, sources indicated that Chetia's deportation may happen by this month-end or latest by early August. The ULFA 'general secretary' has been in jail in Bangladesh since 1997.

Sources said New Delhi has already decided to hand over Subrata Bain and Sajjad Hossain in exchange for Chetia.

It is learnt that Chetia is likely to be handed over to Assam Police which has been probing a number of cases against him. It is expected that Chetia will be first brought to Delhi in an Indian aircraft which will be sent to Dhaka to hand over Bain and Hossain.

Bain and Hossain were involved in attacks targeting ruling Awami League leaders in Bangladesh. Bain is also an accused in the grenade attack on a rally of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2004. Hossain is lodged in Tihar jail.

The Indian side also informed its counterpart that the government will bring a constitutional amendment bill in Parliament during the monsoon session, beginning on August 5, for implementation of the India-Bangladesh land boundary agreement.

Through the constitutional amendment bill, India wants to ratify the 1974 Indira-Mujib pact for demarcation of boundaries and for exchange of 161 adversely-held enclaves with a population of about 50,000 people.

While the Bangladesh parliament has already approved the land boundary deal, India needs to introduce a constitutional amendment bill because its implementation involves territory swap. Approval of the land boundary accord has been hanging fire because the government lacks two-third majority in Parliament for its passage.

India, Bangladesh agree on Chetia’s deportation - The Times of India