New Delhi, May 17 : India has lauded Bangladesh for the "splendid cooperation" it has been extending on the security issues, particularly since late 2009.
"Dhaka has extended splendid cooperation to New Delhi to improve internal security of India. We are extremely grateful to them (Bangladesh government)," Indian home minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday.
He made the remark after unveiling the foundation stone of an Integrated Check Post on the Bangladesh-India border in Agartala, the capital town of the northeastern Indian state of Tripura.
He said that the ICP would not only boost bilateral trades between the two neighbours, but also strengthen historic, cultural and emotional bond between the two peoples.
New Delhi will spend Indian Rupees 73.50 crore to set up the proposed ICP at Akhaura-Agartala by July, 2012.
Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, India's High Commissioner in Bangladesh Rajeet Mitter and Dhaka's envoy to Delhi Tariq A. Karim were also present on the occasion.
"Earlier, there were sanctuaries (for militants) in Bangladesh, now the North-East India's militants have very little scope to take shelter across the border," said the Indian home minister.
Chidambaram was apparently making an indirect reference to the tacit cooperation between Dhaka and Delhi, which resulted in the arrest of several top leaders of the Indian insurgent organisations like United Liberation Front of Assam and National Democratic Front of Bodoland along the Bangladesh-India border in November and December 2009 as well as in May, 2010.
Neither Dhaka, nor New Delhi, however, recognised the role of Bangladeshi security agencies in creating the situations that led to the arrests of the top militant leaders.
But, according to New Delhi's official versions, all of them were arrested after the Border Security Force personnel spotted them near the border.
The arrested militant leaders included ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary.
The ULFA has since 1979 been pursuing an armed rebellion against Indian government with the professed objective of liberation of the north-eastern Indian state of Assam from what it calls "colonial rule of New Delhi".
The NDFB – earlier known as Bodoland Security Force – too has since 1986 been waging an armed struggle to create an independent homeland for the Bodo tribal people of Assam.
After spending a year in jail in Assam, Rajkhowa and other incarcerated ULFA leaders were set free on bail on January 1 last. They later started a peace process with the Indian government.
"We welcome all rebel outfits to hold talks either with the Union Government or the state governments, but only after shunning violence," said Chidambaram.
Bangladesh and India firmed up bilateral security cooperation during prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi in January 2010.
Hasina and her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in a joint statement "condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations" and noted that security remained a priority for both countries "as terrorists, insurgents and criminals respect no boundaries".
They underscored the need for both countries to actively cooperate on security issues and reiterated their assurances to each other that "the territory of either would not be allowed for activities inimical to the other".
The prime ministers also "resolved not to allow their respective territory to be used for training, sanctuary and other operations by domestic or foreign terrorists or militants and insurgent organisations and their operatives".
Bangladesh does not have an extradition treaty with India at present, although the two countries are now working on one.
The ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia was arrested in Dhaka on December 21, 1997, under the Foreigners Act and Passports Act for illegally entering into Bangladesh and for carrying foreign currencies and satellite phone.
He could not be handed over to India due to absence of any extradition treaty. Chetia was sentenced to imprisonment by a court and he had already served his sentence.
New Delhi is believed to have been requesting Dhaka to hand him over to India. But Bangladesh government reportedly clarified that Chetia could not be handed over under the Agreement on Transfer of Sentenced Persons, signed during Hasina's visit to India, as it only covered people who were still serving sentences.
Absence of a bilateral extradition treaty is believed to be one of the reasons for which both New Delhi and Dhaka were reluctant to recognise the role of Bangladeshi agencies in the arrests of the Indian insurgent leaders.
The ULFA 'commander-in-chief' Paresh Barua is still dodging arrests. India had earlier alleged that Barua, the chief of the ULFA's military wing, was also based in Dhaka and other Bangladeshi cities, although intelligence agencies believe that he had possibly shifted to another South East Asian country.
In March 2008, Mohammed Hafijur Rehman and Din Mohammed, both prime accused in the Chittagong Arms Haul case, had confessed in the court that the 10 truck-load of weapons and ammunition that was seized in 2004 had in fact been meant for the ULFA.
Rehman also revealed that Barua, himself, had supervised the arms-smuggling operation.
Barua has opposed the peace-talks between Rajkhowa-led faction of the ULFA and the Indian government.
But Chidambaram on Tuesday said that Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had already invited Barua to join the peace process.
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