Two ULFA leaders arrested in Bangladesh

Anisur Rahman
Dhaka, Jul 17 (PTI) Two leaders of the banned ULFA
were arrested by Bangladeshi authorities from Bhairab town in
northern Kishorganj district on Saturday in a pre-dawn raid
and recovered a sophisticated pistol and bombs from their
possession.
The two suspects -- Ranjan Chowdhury (45) and Pradip
Marak (55) -- were taken into custody from Lakkhipur area of
Bhairab town in Kishorganj, 70 kms north of Dhaka, early this
morning by the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion.
RAB spokesman Lt Commander Mohammad Sohail told PTI
that a sophisticated pistol, a revolver and four small bombs
were recovered from their possession.
At a hurriedly-convened press conference later
in the day, Sohail presented the United Liberation Front of
Asom operatives before the media in handcuffs.
Sohail said the arrests were made based on a secret
tip off that "several Indian trespassers" were staying at
Bhairab, a commercial town, for long time.
He said both Chowdhury and Marak were waiting for a
bus to travel to northern Sherpur district when they were
arrested.
During initial interrogation, Ranjan told the RAB
officials that he hailed from Madhusolmari of Gauripur in
Assam's Dhubri district and that he joined the ULFA in 1988
and obtained three months of "military training", Sohail said.
"The ULFA leader went to Bhutan to meet ULFA's top
military wing commander Paresh Barua in June 1995 and was
arrested by Indian security forces on his return home the
next month," he said.
He was detained in Guwahati jail of Assam for a year
and was released in 1996.
The arrest came as Dhaka is believed to have helped in
the arrest of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) chief
Arbinda Rajkhowa from Bangladesh territory along with several
accomplices and subsequently handing him over to India.
Dhaka at that time declined the report of his arrest
from Bangladesh and subsequent handing over to India.
Several newspapers had last month reported that
Ranjan, who is often referred as Ranju Chowdhury, but the RAB
had refused to confirm his arrest from the central Mymensingh
district.
Another ULFA stalwart Anup Chetia was arrested from
Dhaka during the past 1996-2001 Awami League regime and is
still in "security custody" despite the expiry of his jail
term for cross border intrusion.
The actions against the ULFA coincide with an ongoing
investigation on an abortive smuggling of 10-truck loads of
weapons believed to be destined to their hideouts in Assam.
PTI AR
MYR