Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday expressed hope that militant leader Anup Chetia, who was handed over by Bangladesh to India, would play an important role in the peace process. He said that Chetia, the general secretary of the banned militant group United Liberation Front of Asom, should be handed over to the state government.

Gogoi said in a statement, "We have been demanding for [the] extradition of Anup Chetia from Bangladesh for [a] fruitful discussion between the government and pro-talk ULFA. It has been a demand of the pro-talk group too." The chief minister added that he expected the Centre to release Chetia to "expedite the peace process".

Home minister Rajnath Singh earlier welcomed the extradition, saying it reflected Bangladesh's commitment and maturity to cooperate on issues like terror. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also thanked his counterpart in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, for her help "in fighting terrorism".

The story so far:

· Chetia was in a Dhaka prison for more than 17 years, but Bangladesh agreed to send him back after Modi intervened, according to CNN-IBN.

· The ULFA leader was charged with illegally entering Bangladesh on a forged passport, holding illegal foreign currency and possessing arms in 1997. He is wanted in India for murder, extortion and abduction. He had finished his jail term but had sought political asylum in Bangladesh several times.

· Chetia’s deportation has been at the centre of a political tussle between the two countries, with Bangladesh at various points suggesting they would hand him over if India acquiesced to some of its demands.