No plan to attack Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi: ULFA

GUWAHATI - The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Friday denied any plans to attack the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and said media reports in both India and Bangladesh to this effect were baseless.

Let us clarify once for all that we don’t have any plans now or in the future to attack the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi as Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world and also a majority of that country’s citizens support and cooperate with our freedom struggle, ULFA spokesperson Anu Buragohain said in an e-mailed statement.

The Bangladeshi media last week quoted a letter from the Bangladeshi High Commissioner to India Tariq Ahmed Karim, saying there could be a possible backlash from ULFA and religious extremists in Bangladesh and that the mission’s compound at the Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in New Delhi could be targeted.

You may be aware of some recent developments with regards to northeast Indian insurgent groups and other religious extremists in Bangladesh. These developments have meant that the High Commission and its personnel have become extremely vulnerable as targets for retaliatory attacks in India aimed at humiliating the government of Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi media quoted Karim as writing in the letter to the Bangladesh foreign ministry.

There were fears that the ULFA could attack the High Commission building in New Delhi after the recent arrest of four top rebel leaders, including the outfit’s chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa. The ULFA leaders were believed to have been handed over to India by Bangladeshi security forces.

This is a malicious campaign by India to make the Bangladeshi people revolt against us, the ULFA statement said.