The three-day Home Secretary level talks between Bangladesh and India will be held todat in Dhaka focusing the issues like cooperation in counter-terrorism, extradition of terrorists, smuggling and frontier problems, sources said.
Senior Secretary of Home Ministry Mozammel Haque Khan will lead a 13-member Bangladesh delegation while Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami will lead the Indian side. Official sources said the two delegations, are expected to discuses issues related to border security, safety of border residents and illegal activities taking place along the over 4,000 km frontier and cooperation in counter-terror initiatives and curbing illegal cross-border movement of people and goods.
Both sides are likely to discuss increased kidnappings in border areas allegedly by terrorist outfits in Bangladesh. The number of such abductions rose to 27 last year from 19 in 2012. This year, 10 kidnapping cases have been reported, an official said.
Dhaka is expected to raise the issue of hand over most wanted criminals Subrata Bain, Sajjad Hossain and Nur Hossain, the prime accused of Narayanganj seven murder.
These criminals are now lodged in Indian jail.
Subrata Bain and Sajjad Hossain were arrested in 2012. Both of them were handed down death sentence by Bangladesh courts for murder and grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka.
Bain was arrested in Kolkata 18 days after his escape from a jail in Nepal. Hussain was arrested in Amritsar while trying to cross over to Pakistan. He was carrying fake Indian currency notes at the time of his detention.
“We will also seek cooperation from the Indian side to track down killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” a senior Home Ministry official said.
According to intelligent agencies of Bangladesh, Riasaldar Mosleuddin and another person, wanted for the killing of Sheikh Mujib and several of his family members on August 14-15, 1975, are hiding in India.
India is expected to raise the issue of insurgents and other illegal elements who are reported to be hiding in the neighbouring country, according to reports of Indian newspaper.
The extradition of ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia, who has been in the custody of Bangladesh, and handing over of Bangladeshi criminals lodged in Indian jails will also figure during the delegation-level talks between the two sides.
Besides, issues related to making the border more secure and peaceful would be discussed during the visit of the Indian delegation to Dhaka.
At the talks, the Indian side is expected to press for Chetia’s extradition to India as he has already expressed his desire to return.
Chetia was arrested in Bangladesh in 1997 and is under detention on completion of his seven-year jail term for cross-border intrusion, carrying fake passports and illegally keeping foreign currencies.
He has completed his prison term but is still being in jail in line with a Bangladeshi High Court directive in August, 2003 to keep him in safe custody until the government made a decision on his plea seeking political asylum in Bangladesh.
India is likely to give to Bangladesh a list of districts in the neighbouring country where Indian insurgents have allegedly taken shelter and seek the “immediate” extradition of three Ulfa leaders during the home secretary-level talks.
