Highly placed official sources told that reopening of the transit routes would be beneficial for both the countries and India is expecting positive outcome in this regard in the coming days.
“We are not expecting signing of any treaty in this regard during the current visit of theBangladesh Prime Minister but some positive outcome is expected to ensure signing of such a treaty in the coming days,” sources added.
Sources said that reopening of the transit routes through Bangladesh, particularly for cargo movement, would be immensely beneficial for the Northeast region, which has been facing problems since the division of the country.
The previous Government inBangladesh was not very keen on conceding to India’s request for reopening of the transit routes through that country but the situation has changed after the Awami League Government came to power in the neighboring country andIndia is expecting positive developments in this regard.
Official sources pointed out that on its part, the Government in Bangladesh has been requesting India to allow it to use the transit routes from Nepal and Bhutan through India and an agreement on reopening of the transit routes through each other’s country would be immensely beneficial for both India and Bangladesh.
It may be mentioned here that different trade bodies and other organizations including the Federation of Industries and Commerce of the North East Region (FINER) have been demanding that the trade routes through Bangladesh should be reopened for the benefit of the region, which became landlocked after the division of the country.
Meanwhile, commenting on the other possible benefits of NE from the visit of the Bangladesh Prime Minister, sources said that improved relations with Bangladesh can be immensely helpful for the region. Sources said that an extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh is likely to be signed during the visit of Sheikh Hasina, which would be beneficial for the region as a number of leaders of the militant groups of the region are still in the neighboring country and are planning subversive activities in the region.
Sources pointed out that though the Government of Bangladesh recently launched a crackdown against the militant leaders and handed over a number of militants, including ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and several other top leaders of the outfit, it did so only as a goodwill gesture following improvement of the relations between India and Bangladesh.
Till now the Government of Bangladesh did not have any legal obligation to hand over persons wanted in India but the situation would totally change after the singing of an extradition treaty, sources said.
Official sources said that the issue of creation of a joint task force for dealing with militancy is also likely to be discussed during the visit of the Bangladesh Prime Minister.
The creation of a joint task force was mooted last year but the final shape to that is yet to be given, sources said.
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