India-Bangladesh talks begin today, terror top agenda

New Delhi: Increased cooperation on anti-terror activities, sharing of intelligence and increased patrolling along the border are some of the key issues on the agenda during the Indo-Bangladesh home secretary level talks that start here on Monday.

The delegation would be led by Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and his Bangladesh counterpart, Mozammel Haque Khan, and the two sides teams will have detailed discussions on other issues like increasing influence of terror group ISIS in the Indian subcontinent, increased presence of jihadi groups in Bangladesh and some Indian states and how this threat can be tackled jointly.

In addition, the increasing menace of smuggling of cattle, narcotics and arms through the porous Indo-Bangladesh border will also be taken up and find a strategy to deal with it. Sources said Bangladesh could press for Indian co-operation in nabbing its most wanted criminals, specially the ones involved in war crimes and assassination of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The two sides are likely to exchange notes about investigations into the July 1 terror attack at a cafe in Dhaka. Following this incident India had initiated action against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik as one those involved in the Dhaka attack, Rohan Imtiaz, had claimed he was influenced by the preacher.

Recently Zakir Naik’s NGO, Islamic Research Foundation, was banned by the Centre for a period of five years under the Unla-wful Activities Prevention Act.