India, Bangladesh vow joint action against terror threat

INDIA: India and Bangladesh have promised “swift action” against insurgents taking shelter in each other’s countries, citing terrorism as a “common threat.”

The South Asian neighbours have in the past accused each other of harbouring terrorists and criminals who stage cross-border attacks, an issue that has strained normally cordial ties.

“The use of the territory of either country will not be allowed for terrorist and criminal activities against the other country,” said a statement issued in the Indian capital late Friday by the two countries.

It described terrorism as a “common threat” and promised to step up cooperation and information-sharing, following two days of talks between Indian Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Abdul Karim, in New Delhi.

Gupta said Karim brought a clear message from Bangladesh’s military-backed government that it wanted a spirit of mutual “trust and understanding.”

Bangladesh has been under emergency rule since January when the government took power after months of violence over disputed elections. It has vowed to clean up Bangladesh’s notoriously corrupt politics before staging polls by late 2008.

The two sides pledged to increase river patrols and counter drug peddling as well as tackling women and children trafficking in discussions described as “very, very positive and constructive.”

The Indian official said New Delhi promised to comply with a request by Dhaka to try and trace those wanted for criminal activities in Bangladesh who may be sheltering on Indian soil.

New Delhi has strengthened its eastern border defences to crack down on insurgents crossing from Bangladesh, although Dhaka traditionally denies the presence of “anti-India elements” on its soil.

India helped Bangladesh win independence from Pakistan in 1971 but relations in recent years have often been soured by border skirmishes for which both sides blame the other.

New Delhi, Sunday, AFP