The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh has extradited 11 suspected Indian insurgents between June and August this year as legal process was underway to return several other criminal elements as part of efforts for mutual confidence building, security officials said here.

"We have handed over 11 suspected insurgents in between June 12 to August 22 this year as part of our policy to fight against cross-border terrorism and crimes" despite the absence of any extradition treaty between the two neighbours, a senior security official said preferring anonymity.

He added that different Bangladesh law enforcement agencies arrested more than suspected 120 Indian criminals and insurgents since 2003 and many of them already returned home exhausting jail terms, and legal process were underway to return the rests.

Officials said 10 alleged operatives of India's outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) were killed in an encounter with the elite anti-crime troops as they infiltrated into Bangladesh territory.

The comments came against the backdrop of a protracted propagation in Indian authority and media accusing Bangladesh of harbouring their separatist elements, an allegation that Dhaka protested repeatedly.

"As stated earlier repeatedly by the policy level, I reassure you that Bangladesh does not allow its territory to be used by foreign terrorists or separatists . . . the extraditions was part of Dhaka's commitment to fight against cross-border terrorism and crimes," one official said.

"Bangladesh might expose itself to risks of inviting the wraths of cross-border insurgent groups unless the issue was dealt with extreme carefulness," a senior official of an elite anti-crime force said.

Bangladesh and India agreed on "expeditious" return of criminals staying in either of the countries as home secretaries of the two countries ended a two-day annual meeting in Dhaka on August 31.

According to a joint statement issued at that time, both sides agreed that the verification process of released prisoners of one country held in the prisons of the other country should be expedited working out the modalities in this regard.

It also added that both sides also agreed to "continue efforts" to track down criminals who took shelter in either country to evade justice and send them back "expeditiously" as Dhaka also sought India's cooperation to take preventive measures against anti-Bangladesh outfits based in its territory.

Bangladesh handed over an updated list of 1,648 Bangladeshi criminals hiding in India while the Indian side gave a list of 464 Indian criminals during director general level talks between the Bangladesh Rifles and Border Security Force (BSF) of India ahead of the secretary level meeting.