ULFA leader Rajkhowa arrested in Bangladesh

Guwahati: Arabinda Rajkhowa, founder and chairman of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), has been arrested in Bangladesh, dealing a crippling a blow to the outfit, informed sources said Wednesday.

Apurba Baruah, the outfit's publicity secretary, has also been arrested. Both are expected to be handed over to India soon, the sources told IANS.

The two leaders are believed to have been arrested by the Special Branch of the Bangladesh Police from downtown Dhaka.

The arrests come ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India from Dec 19.

Rajkhowa, 56, was in Bangladesh for close to two decades, operating out of bases in that country and ordering hit-and-run strikes in Assam.

He founded the ULFA in 1979 along with five other leaders, including the outfit's commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, who is believed to have escaped Bangladesh and is reportedly hiding in China.

Last month, Bangladesh reportedly handed over two ULFA leaders, self-styled foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury and finance secretary Chitrabon Hazarika, to Indian authorities.

Indian officials say they were arrested on the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura while trying to sneak into India.

According to CNN-IBN reports:

Who is Arabinda Rajkhowa?

• Chairman of outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom.
• Operating out of Bangladesh for close to 2 decades.
• He founded the ULFA in 1979 with five other leaders.
• Was born to a freedom fighter in 1956 in Sibsagar.
• Rajkhowa was a schoolteacher; fluent in a dozen languages.
• He was the Vice-President of Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front.

What this means for ULFA?

• Rajkhowa’s arrest will give peace talks in Assam a boost.
• Rajkhowa has been authorised to take final call on peace talks.
• Rajkhowa, Paresh Barua are split over peace talks.
• Paresh Barua opposed to talks except on issue of sovereignty.

Rajkhowa is willing to talk to the government. This is what ULFA chief told NE TV:

I want to clear my stand that I still stand for the cause of Assamese people. We are against the domination of the Assamese community by the mainstream India. We don't want our revolution to end but there should be a peaceful solution to it, preferably in a constitutional way. I want peace talks to restart and conclude successfully. There are certain sections of people on both the sides who want to disrupt the peace talks that’s why I have come forward to carry on my agenda.