Bangladesh News

India yesterday handed over two more top criminals to Bangladesh at Benapole border.

The Criminal Investigation Department of West Bengal handed over the two listed Bangladeshi criminals–Sanjidul Islam Emon and Ishaq Ali–to its Bangladesh counterpart at about 2:15pm.

India has so far repatriated seven Bangladeshi criminals in three phases while over 400 other criminals and political leaders have been staying in that country.

A CID team led by Abdullah Aref, additional superintendent of Bangladesh CID, went to Benapole to take back the criminals. Kolkata CID in-charge Shatanu Chowdhury handed over the two to the Bangladesh team.

West Bengal CID sub-inspectors Tothagata Pandey and Soloma Chakraborty, SI Joy and BSF and BDR officials were also present.

Talking to the reporters, Aref said, “We have been trying to bring back the other criminals arrested in India.”

Earlier in September and October last year, Indian government handed over five Bangladeshi criminals. They are Mohammad Rafiq, Mohammad Babul alias Jewel and Habibur Rahman Taj, Ibrahim and Lamba Selim.

Of them, Ibrahim and Lamba Selim were handed over in September while Mohammad Rafiq, Mohammad Babul alias Jewel and Habibur Rahman Taj in October.

Earlier, on February 7, a two-member CID team went to Kolkata to discuss repatriation of three Bangladeshi criminals Khandakar Tanveerul Islam Joy, Sanjidul Islam Emon and Harisuddin. But the Indian authorities yesterday handed over Emon and another criminal Ishaq, not Joy and Haris.

Emon was arrested near New Market in Kolkata on December 6 last year for possessing fake passport and had been at Alipur Jail. CID said Emon, son of Dr Harun-or-Rashid and Dr Jahan Sultana of Dhanmondi in the city, is an accused in at least 22 criminal cases.

Ishaq, a close associate of “Dakat” Shaheed, chief of an inter-district robber gang, was arrested in Kolkata in December 2006. He was wanted in at least 15 cases.

Talking to The Daily Star, CID Inspector Shyamal Chowdhury said, “Before the handing over of the two criminals, the West Bengal government has disposed of all the cases filed against them.”

He said, “Although there is no extradition treaty between Bangladesh and India, both the criminals were handed over following a negotiation.”

In a meeting in October last year, BDR and BSF exchanged lists of criminals hiding in both the countries. They mentioned that at least 400 Bangladeshi criminals have been hiding in India while a good number of Indian criminals in Bangladesh.

CID sources said they had earlier provided Indian authorities with information and documents on about ten top criminals, including Joy, Piyal, Subrata Bain, Molla Masud, Shadat Hossain, Khorshed, Shahid, Jissan and former MP Pintu’s brother Monir.

Besides, some political leaders, including Jaynal Hazari and Shamim Osman, have been staying in India.

Moreover, ‘Nengra’ Tajgir, Tutul, Bikash, former DCC ward commissioner Fazlur Rahman Babul, and Aga Mithu of Narayanganj are also staying in India.