New visa pact, extradition treaty with Bangladesh

Easier cross-border travel on cards, deportation of key insurgents likely

India is all set to sign a liberalised visa agreement and an extradition treaty with Bangladesh during Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's two-day visit to Dhaka beginning tomorrow.

The new visa pact, named revised travel arrangement, will remove restrictions on visit of each other's businesspersons, students, patients, senior citizens above 65 years and children below 12 years on the lines of the liberalised visa regime between India and Pakistan.

"Both the treaties will be signed during the home minister's visit to Bangladesh," a Home Ministry official said.

The extradition treaty will pave the way for deportation of jailed ULFA 'general secretary' Anup Chetia, Tripura insurgent leader Vishwa Mohan Deb Barman, NDFB leader Thulunga alias Tensu Narzery and many other insurgents from the northeast who have been hiding in Bangladesh.

It will also help Dhaka in getting back its criminals who are currently lodged in Indian jails.

India has been pressing for Chetia's deportation since long. The ULFA leader has been in a Dhaka jail following his arrest in 1997 on the charge of entering Bangladesh without valid documents.

He had, however, moved court seeking asylum in Bangladesh for security reason, making it 'legally' difficult for Dhaka to execute New Delhi's demand.

According to the proposed visa pact, businessmen will be given five-year multiple entry visa and those who want to travel for medical treatment will get two-year multiple entry visa which is extendable for another year. Visa will be given to three attendants of a patient.

Under the student visa, a person can avail one-year multiple entry travel document.

India has also agreed to waive the 60-day cooling off period for second visit by a Bangladeshi national. The restriction is at present applicable to citizens of Pakistan, China and some other countries.