Chetia likely to be handed over before PM's visit to Dhaka

Dhaka/New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) Top United Liberation Front
of Asom (ULFA) leader Anup Chetia may be deported to India
from Bangladesh as a major confidence-building measure ahead
of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka early next
month.
Bangladesh Home Minister Sahara Khatun told PTI in Dhaka
Wednesday that "I don't think there is any obstacle in handing
him (Chetia) over to India ... but definitely, there are
procedures in extraditing someone who is in jail".
Asked what legal procedure would allow Bangladesh to hand
over Chetia to India in the absence of an extradition treaty,
Khatun said "I can't explain to you the details right at this
moment but I can tell you both Bangladesh and India could
exchange the people wanted in their own country maintaining
the legal procedures."
"Chetia has expired his term in jail in Bangladesh ...
still he is in jail and some procedures will have to be
followed to return him," Khatun said.
In New Delhi, official sources said "there is a
possibility that Chetia may be deported before the visit of
the Prime Minister to Bangladesh in first week of next month.
If it happens, it will be a major Confidence Building Measure
(CBM) between the two countries".
Chetia was arrested in Bangladesh in 1997 and is under
detention on completion of his jail term for forging travel
documents.
Singh's scheduled visit Dhaka on September 6-7 is
expected to mark a "new beginning" in bilateral ties as some
crucial issues like Teesta and Feni river water-sharing and
exchange of enclaves are likely to be resolved.