The Indian government has agreed to hand over Nur Hossain, the prime accused in the Narayanganj seven-murder case, to the Bangladesh authority, said Senior Home Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan.
“We are also positive in returning the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) General Secretary Anup Chetia to India,” he said while talking about the outcome of 15th home secretary-level talks between Bangladesh and India at a city hotel yesterday.
The two sides had raised no objection, but repatriation has to be done as per the process, he said, adding that every case has to be considered individually, but “it is not an exchange”.
The secretary, however, said it was difficult to say about a specific time for handover of the two persons.
Narayanganj City Corporation panel mayor Nazrul Islam and six others were abducted on April 27 this year. Later, their bodies were recovered from the Shitalakkha River on April 30. Nur Hossain was made prime accused in the murder case.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh had sent an extradition request to the Indian authorities to bring back Nur Hossain, who is currently in a jail there.
The home secretary said Nur Hossain has to be brought back home and brought to book in the sensational murder case.
“India raised the issue of Anup Chetia and we are positive in handing him over to the Indian authorities,” he told reporters.
Police arrested Anup Chetia at a house in the capital’s Mohammadpur in 1997. He was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in three cases filed for possessing arms and fake passport and intrusion illegally.
Even though his jail term ended on February 25 in 2007, he is still languishing in jail.
The Bangladesh government is set to hand over Anup Chetia to the Indian authorities in exchange for the repatriation of Nur Hossain, according to a recent report of Anandabazar Patrika, an Indian Bangla daily.
About the secretary-level talks Mozammel Haque said, “We have held a fruitful discussion on the ratification of Land Boundary Agreement. The Indian side assured us that it would be placed at Rajya Sabha, the upper house in Indian parliament. And the long pending issue would be settled very soon.”
Bangladesh and India signed LBA in 1974. Although Bangladesh ratified it, India is yet to do so.
Mozammel, who led a 13-member delegation at the meeting said, “We have strongly pointed out the border killings and the Indian side has shown their willingness to bring down it to zero level.”
The Indian Border Security Force claimed that they fired to defend themselves, the secretary quoted Indian officials as saying. They also claimed that the killings along the border had come down.
The secretary said both the sides agreed to hand over detained people to the respective authorities.
He said a memorandum of understanding on tackling human trafficking, rescuing victims, repatriation and rehabilitation had not been signed as it has to be approved by the Indian cabinet. Bangladesh had already approved signing the MoU.
The three-day 15th home secretary-level meeting concludes today (Thursday). Indian Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami is leading a 12-member team.