‘Will hand over Chetia after legal process’

Bangladesh home minister Shahara Khatun on Friday said the top leader of outlawed ULFA, Anup Chetia will be handed over to India immediately after the legal process involving his deportation is over in that country.

Bangladesh home minister Shahara Khatun on Friday said the top leader of outlawed ULFA, Anup Chetia will be handed over to India immediately after the legal process involving his deportation is over in that country.

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Khatun said Bangladesh was committed to handing over the ULFA leader against whom an Interpol red corner notice was pending.

"But please understand that Bangladesh too has a legal process that has to be followed. We have no intention to keep him even for a day. When the court issue is resolved, we will hand over him to India," she told reporters.

Chetia, 54, was arrested in Bangladesh in 1997 for forging travel documents, and has been under detention since then.

After meeting her Indian counterpart, P Chidambaram, Khatun said Bangladesh will not tolerate any anti-India activity from its soil. "We have not allowed in the past, nor we will do in the future. Both countries are victims of terrorism," the visiting dignitary said.

Khatun, said joint efforts were required to eliminate terrorists and Dhaka has taken many steps to deal with the extremists forces.