DHAKA, Sept 6 � Top ULFA leader and general secretary of the outfit Anup chetia, now lodged in a Bangladesh prison after having served his sentence, could be the first prisoner sent back to India under a new extradition treaty likely to be inked by both India and Bangladesh in presence of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his Bangla counterpart Sheikh Hasina here tomorrow (Wednesday).
Chetia was arrested by Bangladesh security forces in December, 1997. Union Home Minister PC Chidambaram during his recent visit to Dhaka had taken up the extradition issue of Chetia with the Bangla authorities.The ongoing talks with the pro-talk faction of the ULFA led by its president Arabinda Rajkhowa underlined the importance attached by the Rajkhowa faction to Chetia�s presence in the talks process.
Another factor which has drawn the Indian government�s attention is the attempts being made by the Ulfa C-in-C Paresh Baruah faction to wean him away from the talks table on the plea of betrayal by the Arabinda Rajkhowa group.
Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai,told the press yesterday in Delhi that both the Indian and Bangladesh governments have already drawn up list of prisoners to be exchanged under the extradition treaty.
