India, Bangladesh extradition treaty comes into force

DHAKA: India and Bangladesh today exchanged the instruments of ratification for an extradition treaty that could lead to the handing over of several jailed Indian militant leaders like ULFA's Anup Chetia.

Bangladesh's Senior Home Secretary, C Q K Mostak Ahmed and Indian High Commissioner Pankaj Saran signed the documents here on behalf of the two countries and exchanged them.

"With the signature of the ratification instruments and the exchange, we are now in a position to bring the treaty into effect," Saran said.

He hoped the treaty will contribute further to the mutual security of both countries, the Daily Star reported.

Both nations signed the treaty in January this year paving the way for exchanging convicts or under-trial criminals between the two countries.

The cabinet of Bangladesh ratified it on October 7 while India did the same earlier.

Chetia - ULFA's founder general secretary - had sought political asylum in Bangladesh thrice in 2005, 2008 and 2011 after being arrested in Dhaka in 1997.