Bangladesh has asked France-based Interpol to help bring back top Bangladeshi criminals now hiding in neighboring India. Dhaka has named some 15 top listed criminals, including three suspects of the Aug. 21 grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) rally in Dhaka city, now in hiding in India, said a well-placed source in the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The criminals, who the government agencies claim to have links with the grenade attack on the AL rally, are Joy, Mukul and Robin. Other criminals include âChhengaâ Babu, Jishan and Imon. They are residing in Calcutta to avoid arrest, while they are controlling the underworld in Bangladesh from there, according to intelligence sources in Dhaka yesterday. The government move for the Interpol assistance has been taken in the face of international pressure to curb terrorism, complete investigations into several sensational incidents and bring the culprits to trial.
The government has accordingly sent the files on the top 15 criminals living in Calcuttato the Interpol. It plans to request India, with support from the Interpol, to deport these criminals so that they can be arrested at the border. Bangladesh earlier asked India to take measures against the top Bangladeshi criminals who had taken refuge in Calcutta in the last couple of years. However, as Bangladesh itself did not reciprocate till recently with Indiaâs request to take action against Indian insurgents allegedly staying in Bangladesh, India so far took no action. âBesides, there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. Even if India arrested the Bangladeshi criminals, it would not hand them over to us,â the RAB source said.