Delhi, Dhaka to revive joint working groups

Officials said both sides agreed on the need for an extradition and legal assistance treaty to crack down on illegal immigration, and trafficking in women, children and narcotics. Bangladesh foreign minister Hemayetuddin welcomed New Delhi’s move to appoint nodal officers on the issue.

Officials added the investment protection agreement will be initialed during the visit of Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath to Dhaka. New Delhi has also invited a delegation from Dhaka in July for talks on the extension of a $150-million line of credit for infrastructure projects.

While New Delhi did raise the issue of banned ULFA members, including former general secretary Anup Chetia, taking refuge in Dhaka, Hemayetuddin said the matter was sub-judice. He, though, added that his government would look into New Delhi’s concerns.

Though Hemayetuddin was non-committal on supply of gas to India indicating it was a political issue, New Delhi said Dhaka should not look into the issue in a trilateral context, involving Myanmar. New Delhi assured him that if Bangladesh was willing to take the bilateral track, India could look into the transit issues that Dhaka has raised.

There was progress on boundary resolution too with two sides willing to sit down and settle the issue soon. However, both sides remained opposed to each other on the border-fencing issue, with New Delhi stressing the need to raise fences within 150 yards of the border.

On connectivity, Dhaka proposed three new bus routes connecting Dhaka to Guwahati, Shillong and Siliguri. New Delhi has agreed to examine the idea.