Nov/22/2011

New Delhi, Dhaka to expedite extradition treaty

Pact will facilitate handing over of ULFA leader Anup Chetia

Stepping up their cooperation in security-related matters, India and Bangladesh on Monday decided to expedite the signing of an extradition treaty under consideration for some time.

Such a treaty would facilitate the handing over of Anup Chetia, general secretary of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) from Bangladesh.

The ULFA leader has served his sentence in a jail in Dhaka since his arrest there in 1997 on the charge of entering the country without valid documents.

India assured Bangladesh of extending all possible cooperation to track down the killers of the Father of Nation of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also father of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“The draft [extradition treaty] has been shared and we are going through it. We are scrutinising it,'' Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh told a joint press conference with his Bangladesh counterpart Monzur Hossain at the end of the two-day Home Secretary-level talks.

Mr. Hossain said the pact will be signed “at the earliest. That is our position with utmost sincerity.''

Key pacts

A joint statement issued after the talks said the two countries agreed to put into operation a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), transfer of sentenced persons, and Agreement on Combating Organised Crime and Illegal Drug Trafficking.

The three key agreements were signed during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January last year, setting the stage for the security cooperation.

Asked about the possibility of deportation of Chetia, Mr. Hossain said some legal issues had hampered it. However, he hoped that the matter would be resolved soon and that the ULFA general secretary would be handed over to India “at the earliest.”

The joint statement said both countries reaffirmed “their commitment not to allow the territory of either country to be used for any activity inimical to each other's interests.”

Both sides also agreed to implement the coordinated Border Management Plan signed during the visit of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to Bangladesh in July this year.

India appreciated the cooperation extended by Dhaka to prevent smuggling of Fake Indian Currency Notes.

Both sides agreed to develop mechanisms to speed up verification of the nationality status of prisoners lodged in jails of either country, particularly of those who have completed their sentence, to enable their early repatriation.

Windfall for World Cup-winning Kabaddi players


LUDHIANA: The World Cup triumph has brought with it a financial windfall and lucrative job offers for India's kabaddi players --both men and women. 

The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government decided to give government jobs to the players of both the men's women's Indian Kabaddi teams.

After India defeated UK in the women's section in the inaugural edition of the women's Kabaddi here last night, Punjab's deputy chief minister and sports minister Sukhbir Singh Badalrequested chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to give jobs to the entire team.

The chief minister readily agreed to the proposal and said the matter would be put up in the next cabinet meeting.

Earlier, Indian women's kabaddi team defeated United Kingdom winning the prize money of Rs 25 lakh.

The performance of Indian eves was praiseworthy as they overcame the trauma of a two-day old road accident involving the team bus.

Later, Sukhbir Badal again requested Badal Sr that jobs be given to those newcomers of Indian men's team who had not been previously employed, the chief minister again readily agreed, stating that his government was committed to upliftment of the sports.

Indian men's team defeated Canada in the finals and took Rs two crore as prize money.

"Kabaddi is our home game and this year's Cup has been hugely popular and has drawn tremendous response from the people," he said.

The chief minister said that he was also feeling happy to announce that he would hand over the letter of appointment as Deputy Superintendent of Police to star hockey player Rajpal Singh on the occasion of his wedding to ace shooter Avneet.

"Avneet has also been made DSP and like the couple our government has honoured a number of sportspersons with cash rewards and jobs," he added.


IBSA-INDIA, BRAZIL, SOUTH AFRICA

India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Trilateral

IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa to promote South-South cooperation and exchange.

In the aftermath of discussions between the Heads of State and/or Government of the IBSA countries at the G-8 meeting that took place in Evian in 2003, and following ongoing trilateral consultations, the Foreign Ministers of the respective countries met in Brasilia on June 6, 2003. At this meeting between Ministers Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma from South Africa, Celso Amorim from Brazil and Yashwant Sinha from India, the launching of the IBSA Dialogue Forum was formalized through the adoption of the "Brasilia Declaration" .

IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa to promote South-South cooperation and exchange.

In the aftermath of discussions between the Heads of State and/or Government of the IBSA countries at the G-8 meeting that took place in Evian in 2003, and following ongoing trilateral consultations, the Foreign Ministers of the respective countries met in Brasilia on June 6, 2003. At this meeting between Ministers Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma from South Africa, Celso Amorim from Brazil and Yashwant Sinha from India, the launching of the IBSA Dialogue Forum was formalized through the adoption of the "Brasilia Declaration" .

The main objectives of the IBSA Dialogue Forum could be summarized as follows:

• To promote South-South dialogue, cooperation and common positions on issues of international importance
• To promote trade and investment opportunities between the three regions of which they are part
• To promote international poverty alleviation and social development
• To promote the trilateral exchange of information, international best practices, technologies and skills, as well as to compliment each others competitive strengths into collective synergies
• To promote cooperation in a broad range of areas, namely agriculture, climate change, culture, defence, education, energy, health, information society, science and technology, social development, trade and investment, tourism and transport.

The IBSA Dialogue Forum has regular consultations at Senior Official (Focal Point), Ministerial (Trilateral Joint Commission) and Heads of State and/or Government (Summit) levels, but also facilitates interaction amongst academics, business and other members of civil society.