bdnews24.com New Delhi Correspondent


New Delhi, Nov 30 (bdnews24.com) – Home secretaries of Bangladesh and India begin talks on Monday to give final touches to at least three bilateral agreements, which are likely to be signed by the two countries during prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi next month.

Bangladesh' home secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder will meet his Indian counterpart G K Pillai in New Delhi to finalise agreements for mutual legal assistance on criminal matters, transfer of sentenced persons and combating international terrorism, organised crime and illegal drug trafficking.

The three deals are among the ones that Bangladesh and India are likely to seal during Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi.

The home secretaries, in the three-day talks, are also likely to review the progresses made by investigators of both countries in unearthing the terror network of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) that came to light after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested David Coleman Headley, aka Dawood Sayed Gilani, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana – both born in Pakistan, but at present citizens of US and Canada.

After being alerted by the FBI following interrogation of Headley and Rana, Bangladesh police earlier this month arrested several LeT operatives who had entered illegally from India.

The arrests revealed a LeT plan to attack the US Embassy and the High Commission of India in Dhaka, said investigators.

A spokesman of the Indian ministry of home affairs said that Sikder would lead a five-member delegation from Bangladesh in the talks. Pillai would be assisted by several top ranking officers of his ministry.

"Issues like security, border management and enhanced cooperation between law enforcement agencies of both the countries will be under focus during the home secretary level talks," said the spokesman. He added that a joint statement would be issued on Wednesday.

During a visit by Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni to India last September, both India and Bangladesh agreed to conclude the agreements for mutual legal assistance, transfer of sentenced persons and cooperation in the fight against international terrorism.

Sources said that Pillai might also raise the matter of illegal migration from Bangladesh to the Indian state of West Bengal and Assam, and Sikder may bring up the issue of border killings by India's BSF.

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