Delhi to press more for extradition issue

Dhaka is in two minds about signing the Saarc mutual legal assistance (MLA) treaty on criminal matters as it is likely to reopen the discussion on a similar bilateral deal with India that includes a clause for extradition between the two neighbours.
If Dhaka signs the Saarc MLA treaty, foreign ministry officials told The Daily Star that they anticipate it might allow India to reopen the bilateral deal in which New Delhi has included clauses on extradition and executing requests on search and seizure.
The Saarc MLA treaty, which aims at synchronising legal frameworks in the eight member states to tackle cross-border crimes, is likely to be high on the agenda of the ongoing meet of the Saarc home ministers in New Delhi.
Despite recent exchanges of criminals between the two neighbouring countries and cooperation on other security matters, the extradition clause will particularly be a key sticking point for Dhaka in any future negotiation with New Delhi.
New Delhi also has two more proposals to sit on with Dhaka--separate deals on extradition and combating terrorism and drugs.
Diplomatic sources said Dhaka's decision to sign the MLA treaty, which does not include such clauses, will depend on its compatibility with Bangladeshi legislation and procedures of dealing with cross-border and internal criminal matters.
There is also the Bimstec MLA treaty, which is likely to be inked in the next summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) in January.
Dhaka has been prevaricating around the bilateral treaty with India, which has been sitting with Bangladesh since 2003, despite several approaches from New Delhi since June 2003 because of the extradition clause.
In its present shape, the draft recommends sharing information and evidence on suspects and instruments of terrorism.
If signed, the deal will also make detained suspects available for investigators across borders, request for search and seizure of instruments and proceeds of crimes and reining in money laundering that has link with terrorist activities within the Saarc states.
Both Dhaka and New Delhi announced in June that they would share information regarding terrorism, but no details on the nature of the information were released.
Experts from the eight Saarc states met in Colombo last month to discuss the MLA treaty draft.
India and Sri Lanka backed the treaty in an experts group meeting in March that was followed by substantial talks during the 14th Saarc summit in New Delhi in April.
As of now, India has failed to secure bilateral mechanisms with other Saarc nations to cooperate in this area even though it has similar agreements with 25 other countries.
HOME SECYS FIRM ON CHECKING TERRORISM
Home secretaries of Saarc countries have expressed their determination to strengthen mutual assistance to check terrorism and trans-border crimes, reports our correspondent from New Delhi.
They also stressed the need for better cooperation among police organisations of member-countries yesterday, the second day of the three-day Saarc Home Ministers' conference in New Delhi.
The need for strengthening Saarc Terrorism Offence Monioring Desk and Saarc Drug Offences Monitorig Desk in Sri Lanka was also discussed at the meeting.
The meeting also reviewed the progress in implementing the decisions of the first meeting of Saarc home ministers held in Dhaka in May last year.
Meanwhile, police chiefs of Saarc countries mooted the creation of a database to help security agencies of member nations combat terrorism, drug smuggling and cyber crime on Tuesday, the first day of the three-day meeting of home ministers and senior officials of Saarc nations.
Representatives from eight member countries stressed the need for an effective institutional mechanism for greater coordination and agreed on sharing information among police organisations to check trans-border crimes.