ULFA leader wants political asylum in Bangladesh

As New Delhi has started talking tough on Dhaka regarding the terror issues, the banned United Liberation Front of Asom found it difficult to cope up with. Soon after the new Indian Home minister P. Chidambaram took charge and echoed the sentiment of the people against the terrorists with strongest words in the Parliament, the leaders of ULFA prepared for taking asylum in Bangladesh, where they have been taking shelter for years now.

It was visible on a recent letter from the ULFA General Secretary Anup Chetia to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, where the jailed rebel appealed for refugee status and political asylum in Bangladesh. Addition to Anup, who had been inside bar in Dhaka for a decade, his solicitor Muhammad Abdus Sattar also sent a letter to the Representative of UNHCR Bangladesh Office in Dhaka. Both the letters have been included in the latest issue of ULFA's mouthpiece Freedom.

Addressing António Guterres, the Geneva based UNHCR, Anup described as being held at Kashimpur Jail in the outskirts of Bangladesh capital. He pleaded that he was 'no longer a convict to be held in a jail' as, Anup argued, "I completed my seven years of imprisonment for entering Bangladesh illegally carrying foreign currencies and a satellite phone.

He also repeated declaring the aim of ULFA as to restore 'Sovereignty of Assam'. As this is in direct conflict with the Indian Government's aggressive policy of so-called national integrity, I became an enemy of the Indian Government. Eventually the organisation was proscribed and the Indian Army operations were launched against my organisation resulting in deaths of many of the members of our organisation, Anup revealed.

Disclosing about his birth at Jerai Gaon in Tinisukia of Assam, Anup, whose real name is Golap Barua, added, "I was arrested in India and was mercilessly tortured and finding my life was in danger I escaped using a ploy with the Indian authorities. Since then I have been trying to avoid capture by the Indian authorities."

India has seriously been pressurising Bangladesh government from the very beginning of my arrest in this country to hand me over to them. But as I have denounced my Indian Nationality and there is no extradition treaty between the two countries, have so far been the rejected India's request.

Apprehending his life will not be safe soon after his release from the prison, Anup urged for his safety and appealed for intervention by the UNHCR Bangladesh Office to grant him 'a refugee status and political asylum'. Anup claimed that the 'long ten years and eight months in Bangladesh prison has taken its toll' and he was 'craving for a normal existence'.

Meanwhile the letter addressing Pia Pyrtz Phiri, the Bangladesh Representative of UNHCR, from his advocate Muhammad Abdus Sattar termed Anup as a 'Freedom Fighter', whose life was under threat as Dhaka might extradite him to India.

"Apprehending his possible handing over to Indian authorities he (Anup) applied for political asylum to Bangladesh government. Bangladesh government while summarily rejected his prayer a human rights organisation in Bangladesh filed a writ petition to Bangladesh Supreme Court against that rejection," the advocate informed.

The apex court of Bangladesh issued a Rule to Bangladesh Government that why Anup Chetia shouldn't be given the asylum and the Rule not yet been disposed of. The case is pending in the court, said Sattar adding, "Without considering the legal and political status of my client Anup Chetia, I came to know that there is a covert move possibly emanated from the terrible pressure created by Indian Government, the Bangladesh authority is preparing to hand over Anup Chetia to Indian authority very soon."