Bangladesh and India have stepped up cooperation in the last two years. It was earlier confined to criminals and has been extended to militants this year.

India has been alleging that several militant groups, among them the Bodoland activists, Naga separatists and members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), are using Bangladeshi soil to stage operations.

India is seeking custody of the top ULFA brass who live in Bangladesh, where they have families and businesses while their cadres carry out operations in Assam.

Dhaka, too, has been seeking to repatriate fugitives, both criminals and those who profess separatist causes.

It recently caught three Islamist militants that it says are Indian nationals, who were hiding in Bangladesh for several years and coordinating operations with Pakistan-based Laskhar-e-Taiba.