India-B’desh to fight terror jointly

New Delhi: India and Bangladesh on Thursday agreed to enhance cooperation on anti-terror efforts with Dhaka saying that New Delhi will be “side-by-side” with it in fighting terrorists.
The India-Bangladesh Home Minister level dialogue also amended bilateral extradition treaty to facilitate prompt exchange of each other’s wanted terrorists and other criminals.
“We have decided to enhance our anti-terror cooperation in all sphere. India will be side by side with Bangladesh in fighting terror,” Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said after the delegation level talks with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.
Asked about involvement of ISIS in the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka where 22 people, including one Indian girl, were killed, Khan said “all terrorists were home grown. There is no ISIS in Bangladesh”.
The Bangladeshi Minister said in Thursday’s talks, activities of terror group like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh were discussed besides other groups operating in both the countries.
“There was no discussion on ISIS,” he said. Khan also denied discussing about  Islamist preacher Zakir Naik, whose sermon allegedly inspired one of the terrorists who attacked the Dhaka cafe on July 1.
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who participated the dialogue, said it was a “very good” meeting where there was not a single issue where the two sides disagreed.
“It was a very good discussion. There was no difference even in one point,” he said, adding there will be more frequent interaction between security officials of both the countries.
The meeting agreed to hold the Home Minister level talks in every two years instead of present three years, sources said. Other issues which figured in the meeting include enhancement of security along the international border, visa, infiltration, smuggling of narcotics and cattle, etc.
Bangladeshi counter-terror officials, accompanying their Home Minister, met officials of the National Investigation Agency while officials of Border Guard Bangladesh met their counterparts of Border Security Force.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrish and Director Generals of Border Security Force and Narcotics Control Bureau participated in the talks. (PTI)