In yet another anti-India move, Paresh Baruah, the military commander of the banned terror organisation United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), has been granted relief by a Bangladesh High Court. Baruah, who had been sentenced to death in connection with a high-profile arms smuggling case, saw his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. The case dates back to April 1, 2004, when a massive consignment of weapons was intercepted in Chittagong, during the regime of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami.
The High Court ruling on Wednesday also acquitted six individuals, including Lutfuzzaman Babar, a former State Minister for Home Affairs. Babar had been a key figure in the Khaleda Zia-led BNP government, serving as Minister of State for Home Affairs from 2001 to 2006. Alongside Baruah, six other death row convicts had their sentences reduced. While Baruah’s punishment was commuted to life imprisonment, the others received a reduced sentence of 10 years in prison.
The seized consignment comprised ten truckloads of weapons, which were allegedly intended to support anti-India militant operations. Evidence during the investigation pointed to Babar’s involvement in facilitating the arms smuggling. The BNP regime of that period had also reportedly provided shelter to Baruah and other anti-India militants.
Paresh Baruah, who was convicted for his role in the arms smuggling plot, is believed to be operating out of China. As the military commander of ULFA, he has long been a fugitive and a key figure in anti-India militancy. The arms smuggling case had been a major focus of the Awami League government under Sheikh Hasina. During her tenure, Hasina’s administration aggressively cracked down on anti-India forces in Bangladesh.
However, political dynamics changed after the sudden flight of Sheikh Hasina on August 5. The caretaker government, under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has not been friendly to India, and concerns over violence against Hindus have strained relations between New Delhi and Dhaka. Soon after Yunus took charge, Bangladesh released Jashimuddin Rahmani, the leader of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist organisation.
Rahmani, who had been jailed for orchestrating the murder of blogger Rajib Haider in 2013, was granted parole. ABT, a known affiliate of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), has been linked to several terror activities. In the past, several terrorists linked to the Ansarullah Bangla Team were arrested in India. Earlier this year, Assam Police arrested two ABT operatives, Bahar Mia and Rarely Mia, at the Guwahati railway station, underscoring the persistent threat posed by such networks.
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