By NNN-PTI,
Dhaka, Bangladesh : ULFA leader Anup Chetia, wanted by New Delhi, is among the 330 Indian nationals lodged in Bangladeshi prisons and the 286 foreigners who were not freed after serving their jail terms.
Chetia, who has been jailed for 10 years on passport forgery and other charges, completed his sentence in December, 2004 and is now awaiting the Bangladesh High Court’s verdict on his plea for political asylum.
“After expiry of jail term, he sought political asylum in Bangladesh, which the government turned down. Later, his lawyer filed a writ petition, which is now pending with the High Court. We cannot do anything about him, until the court delivers its verdict,” Inspector General of Prisons Brig Gen Zakir Hassan told The Daily Star.
At present, a total of 878 nationals from 11 countries are in various prisons in Bangladesh. Of them, jail terms of 286 foreign nationals expired long ago, it quoted jail sources as saying.
At least six such foreign prisoners — four Myanmarese, one North Korean and one Tanzanian — were freed recently.
Sources said of the 878 foreign prisoners, 515 are Myanmarese, 330 Indian, 12 are Pakistani, seven are Nepali, five are Tanzanian, two are Kenyan, three are Malaysian and one each from Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Liberia and Hungary.
The jail terms of 30 foreign nationals expired 15 years ago while 80 others had served their terms five years back.
The authorities concerned could not collect the necessary information for repatriation of the foreign prisoners — mostly Indian and Myanmarese — who do not have any passport, the paper said.