Delhi to hand over Subrata Bain, Sajjad for Chetia

DHAKA, July 24: The deportation of ULFA leader Anup Chetia to India will be a part of a ‘swap’ in which New Delhi will match Dhaka’s gesture by transferring two Bangladeshi criminals —Subrata Bain and Sajjad Hossain — who are in Indian jails, according to a report by Times of India.

Besides, New Delhi also assured Dhaka of coordination with the latter’s agencies to track, arrest and hand over the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Though it was a reiteration of India’s stand, New Delhi promised to act vigorously on the matter by processing every input from Dhaka on the whereabouts of those who killed Sheikh Mujib. Riasaldar Mosleuddin and another person, wanted for the killing of Sheikh Mujib and several of his family members on August 14-15, 1975, are suspected to be hiding in India.

India reiterated its stand during the home secretary-level talks between the two countries which concluded in New Delhi on Monday.

“We are working on it (deportation of Anup Chetia). There is no quid pro quo. You will come to know it (about deportation) eventually,” senior secretary in Bangladesh’s ministry of home affairs CQK Mushtaq Ahmed said when asked whether there was any give-and-take between India and Bangladesh on Chetia’s deportation.

Though Ahmed refused to give any timeframe, sources indicated that Chetia’s deportation may happen by this month-end or latest by early August. The ULFA ‘general secretary’ has been in jail in Bangladesh since 1997.

Sources said New Delhi has already decided to hand over Subrata Bain and Sajjad Hossain in exchange for Chetia.

It is learnt that Chetia is likely to be handed over to Assam Police which has been probing a number of cases against him. It is expected that Chetia will be first brought to Delhi in an Indian aircraft which will be sent to Dhaka to hand over Bain and Hossain.