There is a saying that where there is will there is way. But, if there is no will there will be survey. Perhaps, this aptly describes the efforts of India and Bangladesh to organise joint visit of vulnerable areas by BSF and BDR in the frontlines. “We have identified border areas vulnerable to trans-border crime which would be jointly patrolled by the frontier forces of the two countries,” a top official said. But,

so far as handing over of criminals taking shelter in each other’s territories is concerned, almost every round of talks at the home secretary level appears to be a repetition of the past meeting. And it was no different this time too when the two sides met at Dhaka. For the record, both countries agreed to ‘expeditiously’ hand over criminals taking shelter in each other’s territories and take action against militant outfits based on ‘real time and actionable information’. India has been pushing for an extradition treaty with the neighbouring nation though a joint statement issued after the 9th such meet was silent on such an arrangement.

The two sides, which discussed a wide range of bilateral issues including cross-border security and terrorism, agreed to ‘continue efforts’ to track down criminals who took shelter in either country and send them back ‘expeditiously’. “Both sides agreed to take action against militants, insurgent outfits and their leaders on the basis of real time and actionable information to be exchanged between the nodal points,” said the statement issued at a joint press meet by home secretary Madhukar Gupta and his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Karim. The two countries also decided that the verification process of ‘released prisoners of one country held in the prisons of the other country’ should be expedited and modalities in this regard will be worked out. On the contentious issue of exchange of prisoners or ‘criminals’ hiding in each others territory, Gupta said they intended to ‘systematise’ the process through treaties but ‘we should be able to cooperate with each other even in the absence such arrangements’.

During the recent BDR-BSF meeting, 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. Dhaka sought India’s cooperation to take ‘preventive measures against anti-Bangladesh outfits based in India. The Indian side also sought Bangladesh’s cooperation to trace the presence of Indian insurgent groups allegedly based in Bangladesh.’ Though some recent terror attacks have raised suspicion of involvement of outfits like HuJI-Bangladesh and Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islamia — suspected to be involved in the serial blasts in Hyderabad, Jaipur and Ajmer — Karim reiterated that Dhaka’s policy is not to allow its territory to be used by anti-Indian insurgents. Likewise, Gupta said, “we will inform the Bangladesh authorities about the terrorist or anti-Bangladesh outfits in India (and) discourage anti-Bangladesh political activities in line with our country’s policy”.

India believes that Jehadi terrorist groups are using Bangladesh as a route, including the suspects of the July 11 Mumbai blasts, to sneak into this country. A preliminary investigation into the blasts have indicated involvement of terror groups from Bangladesh, like HuJI, and from Nepal and it is most likely that the evidence will be handed over to Dhaka through an institutional mechanism for real time exchange of actionable intelligence inputs. India has been voicing concern over existence of the Northeast insurgent camps and presence of insurgent leaders in Bangladesh and has been seeking Dhaka’s cooperation in dismantling the terror infrastructure and in deportation of terrorists. HuJI is suspected of having link with Pakistan’s Inter Service Intelligence (ISI). Both India and Bangladesh have agreed that the menace could be fought jointly. New Delhi has also been persistently concerned over illegal migration despite denials from Dhaka. New Delhi has in the past too taken up with Dhaka the issue of activities of Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, like ISI, against India emanating from Bangladesh. The involvement of Bangladeshis was traced back to the militant strike at Ayodhya last year. Infiltration of illegal immigrants and border skirmishes are among the other major issues that the Indian government has been negotiating with Bangladesh. The external affairs ministry says that a list of 172 Indian insurgent group camps and 307 criminals and insurgents has been handed over to Dhaka.