Rajkhowa held in Bangladesh

The government is expecting a split in Ulfa ranks over whether to hold talks with India, following the arrest of its ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa in Bangladesh. The indications are that he may have surrendered to Bangladeshi cops, as it would have otherwise been difficult to capture him. According to agency reports, he was handed over to Indian authorities and brought to Delhi. The arrest comes at a time when a section of the Ulfa leadership, including Rajkhowa, is said to favour taking up the Centre’s offer for “unconditional” talks in the face of opposition from Paresh Baruah, the ‘commander-in-chief’ who wants to continue the insurgency.
Formed on April 7, 1979 by Bhimakanta Buragohain, Arabinda Rajkhowa, Anup Chetia, among others, at Rang Ghar, a historic structure from the Ahom era, in Sibsagar district, to establish a ‘sovereign’ Assam
Claims to be a ‘revolutionary political organization’ engaged in a ‘liberation struggle’ against state terrorism
The Centre classified Ulfa as a terrorist organization & banned it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 1990
Ulfa’s Bangladesh connection was exposed when authorities in Dhaka arrested Anup Chetia on December 21, 1997. He is now in high-security Dhaka central jail
Ulfa received a body blow in ’07 when two units of its strike force, 28th battalion, declared a unilateral ceasefire with the government, without the knowledge of the outfit’s leadership
ULFA Hierarchy
Chairman : ARABINDA RAJKHOWA
Commander-in-chief : PARESH BARUAH (fugitive)
General secretary : ANUP CHETIA (in Bangladesh custody)
Vice-president : PRADIP GOGOI (in Assam jail)
Finance secretary : CHITRABAN HAZARIKA (in Assam police custody) Foreign secretary SASHADHAR CHOUDHURY (in Assam police custody)
Political adviser : BHIMKANTA BUROGOHAIN alias Mama (in Assam jail)