The Bangladesh government is set to hand over Ulfa General Secretary Anup Chetia to the Indian authorities in exchange for the repatriation of Nur Hossain, the prime accused in Narayanganj seven murder case, according to an Indian Bangla daily.
Anandabazar Patrika published the report in its online edition yesterday.
“We have not yet reached such a decision while the matter of Anup Chetia is a big issue,” Bangladesh Home Secretary Mozammel Hoque Khan told the Dhaka Tribune last evening.
He, however, said the issue of Anup Chetia might arise during the home secretary level meeting between the two neighbouring countries.
The meeting is scheduled to be held in the first week of September in India, a senior Home Ministry official said.
On the contrary, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan on June 8 told the House that the process to send the detained Ulfa leader was under way.
Quoting an unnamed source of the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh, the Bangla daily reported that the two countries had reached an understanding in this regard.
Meanwhile, an official of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Friday met Anup Chetia at Kashimpur jail. Chetia told the official that he agreed to return home if there was no legal bar.
“Later, the process to free him from Bangladesh jail and handing over to the Indian security forces has begun,” Anandabazar quoted a source of Bangladesh Home Ministry as saying.
Police arrested Anup Chetia, chief of separatist organisation Ulfa (United Liberation Front of Assam) in 1997 at a house of Mohammadpur in the capital. He was sentenced to seven years’ jail in three cases filed for possessing arms, fake passport and his illegal intrusion.
Even though his jail term ended on February 25, 2007, he still has been languishing in Bangladesh jail.
Anandabazar reported that in 2009, the government of Sheikh Hasina had handed over a number of top leaders including Ulfa Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa. The Indian government started peace talks with them while Anup Chetia supporting the initiative expressed intention to return home.
But due to some legal bars, the government could not hand over Anup Chetia.
Bangladesh and India have signed a number of agreements including extradition treaty. Hence, the return of Anup Chetia has become a matter of time.
On Friday, JP Singh of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka met the Ulfa leader at Kashimpur jail in Gazipur. The jailer was present.
The envoy said he wanted to know whether Aup Chetia was interested to return home. In response, the Ulfa leader said: “I have already applied to the government for my return. There is no question of objection.”
According to Anandabazar, handing over of Nur Hossain is now at final stage.
Meanwhile, Tipu Munshi, the chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Ministry, told reporters on August 19 that the ministry had sent necessary documents to the Foreign Ministry for bringing back Nur Hossain.
Kolkata police arrested Nur Hossain and his two accomplices in a joint drive with the Anti-Terrorist Squad on June 14 from a fourth floor flat of multi-storey Indraprastha apartment complex.
On April 27, NCC panel mayor Nazrul Islam and six others were abducted. Later, their bodies were recovered from Shitalakhya river on April 30. Nur committed the murders allegedly with the help of members from elite force RAB.