Stop entry of militants
Dhaka is set to seek cooperation from New Delhi in preventing Bangladeshi militants and other criminals from crossing the border and bringing back those believed to be holed up in India.
A seven-member team of law enforcement and intelligence agencies that reached Kolkata yesterday evening will take up the matter when it meets Indian National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials.
Last week, a four-member NIA team, headed by its chief Sharad Kumar, visited Dhaka in connection with the October 2 Burdwan blast probe.
The Bangladesh delegation, led by DMP Joint Commissioner Md Monirul Islam, will mainly discuss issues relating to militancy with the Indian investigators during its three-day stay in Kolkata.
“If they [India] remain active on the border, the militants and criminals will not be able to flee there in the face of our drives against them here,” Monirul told reporters at DMP Media Centre before leaving Dhaka yesterday.
He said the two sides would share information on the activities of militant outfits in the two countries and the lists of criminals exchanged between the two sides during the recent NIA visit to Dhaka.
Bangladesh has handed over to India a list of 51 -- 10 militants and 41 top criminals -– reportedly hiding in India.
The NIA team, on the other hand, gave the intelligence agencies in Dhaka a list of 11 suspected militants thought to be behind the Burdwan blast.
Monirul said Dhaka in the Kolkata meetings would seek Delhi's help in bringing home 25 Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) men who could be hiding somewhere in India.
The JMB men include the two leaders of the banned outfit said to be behind the ambush on a police van in Mymensingh's Trishal last year.
“We have worked on the list and information the NIA officials shared with us during their two-day visit. We will update them about it. At the same time, we will also want to know if there is any update about their investigation into the Burdwan blast,” a member of the team told The Daily Star, wishing annynimity.
Comments