| Is RAW operating in Bangladesh? Have our security agencies launched crackdown against the Indian secessionist outfit ULFA? India has been claiming that as a gesture of goodwill established with Awami League's coming to power in Bangladesh security forces cracked down on ULFA outfits hiding in this country. New Delhi has praised the government for the arrest of ULFA chief Arabinda Rajkhowa along with five of his associates early this year and subsequently handing them over to BSF at Assam border. However, Bangladesh police and RAB had pleaded total ignorance about the episode and denied involvement in ULFA leaders' arrest. Assam daily Sentinel reported on December 19 that "the Indian intelligence agency arrested two ULFA leaders in Bangladesh on December 13." The report said ULFA publicity cell manager Arun Dohotia e-mailed to the daily saying that "Captain Upen Buragohain alias Antu Chaudang and Second Lieutenant Pradip Chetia were picked up by the Indian intelligence agency operating in Bangladesh ... Since then they remained missing." Asked about the latest arrest of two ULFA leaders, police and RAB officials told a news agency that they are not aware of it. So, it can be safely assumed that the Assam daily revealed the facts that Indian intelligence agency (RAW) are active in the soil of Bangladesh in anti-ULFA operation. Is the Indian secret agency working in Bangladesh without the knowledge of the government? If it is aware of the RAW operation, should a sovereign country allow the intelligence agency of another country to operate in its soil? There is no denying the fact that Indian secessionists chased by their security forces sometimes enter into Bangladesh. Neither BSF nor BDR could protect the porous border, especially in northern hilly and forest areas. Recently, huge quantity of bullets was recovered from an abandoned house in the remote border village of Sherpur district. Residents of the village said Indian rebels chased by their security forces crossed the border and took shelter in the abandoned house and hide the ammunition. Our police have arrested two suspected ULFA leaders about a couple of months ago from the Sherpur border area. They were prosecuted to the court and are undergoing trial. ULFA leader Anup Chetia was arrested in 1997 and the court had sentenced him to jail for more than 10 years. On completion of the jail term he declined to return India for security of his life and sought asylum in Bangladesh. Since then he is in protective custody pending government decision on his asylum petition. Given the warm relationship with India, the government is likely to hand over Chetia to India as desired by New Delhi. The situation as it is gives many to believe that Bangladesh has been reduced to the level of Bhutan with which Indian state of Assam shares 605km border. Indian security forces had launched Operation All Clear against ULFA and some other secessionist outfits in 2003. Indian security forces have easy access to Nepal undermining its sovereignty. But Myanmar is quite different. It has lengthy porous border with Indian northeast states. According to Indian officials, secessionist groups including ULFA have taken shelter in Myanmar and set up bases and training camps there. "After the crackdown in Bangladesh against the northeast militants, many Indian guerrillas took shelter in the jungles and hills of Myanmar," a Border Security Force (BSF) official in Mizoram was quoted by IANS on December 20. ULFA army chief Paresh Barua is reportedly trying to mobilize strength from Myanmar bases to launch attacks on the army deployed in Assam and the neighbouring states for decades. Paresh rejected the Delhi's offer for peace talks. India has been trying in vain to launch a joint operation with Myanmar to flush out the secessionists from Myanmar. Officials of the two countries met last week in Aizal when the Indian proposal was renewed. A home department official of the state claimed that "Myanmar authorities have agreed to allow Indian security forces to enter Myanmar territory along the border after getting permission from the (local) army post commander." But officials confided that local army post commander will never permit without clearance from the higher authority, which is unlikely to get in view of existing relationship between the two countries. |
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