Two ULFA leaders arrested in Bangladesh - dnaindia.com
DHAKA: Two leaders of the banned ULFA were arrested by Bangladeshi authorities from Bhairab town in northern Kishorganj district today 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 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.
DHAKA: Two leaders of the banned ULFA were arrested by Bangladeshi authorities from Bhairab town in northern Kishorganj district today 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 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.
