NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 16: Annoyed with Bangladesh’s failure to take action against terror groups acting out of its soil, the Government is seriously considering the use of trade-related measures to extract some deliverables from the current regime in Dhaka.

The trade measures to pressurise Dhaka would be discussed at a meeting with chief ministers of all Northeast states, hosted by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on October 31.

Although the meeting is being called to discuss how the Northeast states could benefit from India’s Look East Policy, the security situation in states bordering Bangladesh would be discussed and the neighbour’s failure to prevent infiltration would also be discussed. Incidentally, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta left for a two-day visit to Assam and Manipur on Tuesday.

Over the last couple of years, at every round of talks at the Home Secretary level or the Border Security Force-Bangladesh Rifles level, India has handed over a list of fugitives, who it believes are holed-up inside Bangladeshi safehouses. While denying the same persistently, Bangladesh has promised action, but sought more specific information and wanted India to act against Bangladeshi criminals in India.

Though the current military regime in Dhaka is seen as more amenable to acting on India’s concerns, there is a growing degree of impatience with the lack of discernible action on the ground in rounding up leaders wanted by India as well as winding up camps said to be used by Northeastern insurgent groups, including the ULFA.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said: “Unlike terror outfits in Pakistan, whose operations can be directly linked to the ISI, terror outfits in Bangladesh cannot be said to have the active support of the administration. But unfortunately, we are yet to see action on our concerns.”

Bangladesh’s imports from India stand at about $2 billion, while its exports to India are just over $250 million. With India recently allowing Dhaka to export eight million pieces of textile over and above the commitments under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement, another $75 million worth exports to India can be expected.

At the same time, India is quite cut up over Bangladesh’s decision to ban the export of hilsa since July, with states like West Bengal and Tripura, whose citizens have a big weakness for this bony fish variety being inconsolable, especially in the current festive season. India had imported about 4,500 tonnes of the fish in 2005-06 and about 3,500 tonnes in 2006-07.

“We have been taking it up with Dhaka and the Indian High Commission is pursuing it. But so far, there’s no breakthrough,” Ramesh said. The ban, imposed by Dhaka in view of rising prices for the fish in the domestic market, is to continue till December.

When asked if India is actively considering using some tough measures on the trade front, Ramesh replied in the affirmative, but added: “We may have a blow hot, blow cold relationship with them, but geographically, historically and culturally, they are bound to us and we should be sensitive to a small country’s needs. There are other considerations too. China has overtaken India as their largest inputs supplier last year.”

Along with trade tactics, tightening security on the highly porous borders with Bangladesh would also be on the agenda at the chief ministers’ meeting, which would also be attended by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

“While the land border with Bangladesh has largely been fenced, there is still significant vulnerability on the riverine border where there is no patrolling of any sort. Measures to secure this difficult part of the border will be considered with the chief ministers,” Ramesh said.