Bangladesh launches major crackdown on ULFA

Dawki (Meghalaya): Bangladesh has launched a major crackdown on ULFA militants operating from its soil by apprehending two of its top leaders and subsequently pushing them into Indian territory from where BSF took the duo into custody.

Self-styled ULFA foreign secretary Sashadhar Choudhury and finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika were pushed on Wednesday night into Gokulnagar along the Indo-Bangla border in Tripura from where BSF personnel took them into custody, Intelligence sources said.

BSF officials, however, insisted the ULFA leaders surrendered before them after fleeing Dhaka following an "internal clash" among the cadres.

The development comes a month ahead of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposed visit to India and four month's after Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's reported assurance to Indian leaders that tough action would be taken against militant groups, if any, operating from that country.

Sources said the ULFA leaders were picked up by Bangladeshi security agencies from Dhaka on Sunday night and pushed into India as a "good gesture" by the Sheikh Hasina government.

Sources said since India and Bangladesh do not have any extradition treaty, process of handing over each other's wanted criminals was always cumbersome and cited the example of ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia, who despite being arrested in 1997 in Dhaka, is yet to be handed over to India

due to legal complications.

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