India will demand transit facility from Bangladesh at the foreign secretary-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi on July 17.
Delhi also demands repatriation of Indian separatist leader Anup Chetia, now in jail in Bangladesh.
"Of course, we did discuss this (transit) at every forum. At each and every forum we raise this issue. We are interested in transit. We will remain interested in transit," Indian high commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty told bdnews24.com Thursday after meeting foreign affairs adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury at his foreign ministry office.
The Indian diplomat met the adviser ahead of the bilateral meeting called "Foreign Office Consultation" which takes place every year.
Chakravarty criticised what he said was politicisation of the transit issue.
"This is not a political issue at all which was made a huge political issue here. It is an economic issue. Look at the rest of the world," Chakravarty told bdnews24.com.
"I don't see any reason why it should be politicised to this extent?"
Chakravarty said New Delhi had not set any specific timeframe for Bangladesh to allow a transit.
On the agenda of the bilateral meeting, the high commissioner said one of the main issues to be discussed at the Delhi meeting was security cooperation between the two countries to root out terrorists "having networks in India and Bangladesh".
"There are elements in both countries who have caused certain security breaches. There were some bomb blasts. Some connectivity found between the organisations here and India," Chakravarty said.
"So we will be seeking greater cooperation on these issues so that both the countries can fight the menace of terrorism."
Replying to a question, the Indian envoy said: "The name (Anup Chetia) you mentioned is there. There are many more."
Chetia, who was arrested in Bangladesh in 2000, was one of those who launched separatist movements in some Indian states.
India has recently handed over some wanted Bangladeshi nationals to Dhaka as a "goodwill gesture".
"We have repatriated some Bangladeshis hiding somewhere in Kolkata. We feel that we also need to get back some people from Bangladesh," he said.
Chakravarty said the water issues and maritime border demarcations would also come up at the upcoming meeting.
Any transit facility for India is a sensitive issue in Bangladesh. India has been demanding transit facility to reach its seven north-eastern states, known as seven sisters, separated by Bangladesh.
Subject: India to press transit in Dhaka-Delhi talks 
Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:24 pm
