The New Nation - Internet Edition

bdnews24.com, Dhaka

The United Liberation Front of Asom is claiming that unidentified persons in plain clothes picked up two of its top leaders in Dhaka and handed them over to Indian authorities.

According to Indian media reports, 'military spokesman' for the outlawed separatist group, Raju Barua, issued a statement on Wednesday.

Barua said that on the night of Nov 1, seven to eight persons in civilian clothes took the two leaders Sasadhar Choudhury and Chitrabon Hazarika from a house at Uttara's Sector 3, where one of them was living with his family.

The persons refused to divulge their identity but claimed that they were 'sent by higher authorities to bring in the duo for questioning' and also searched the house, Barua said.

"We do not know the whereabouts of our leaders but we suspect that they have been handed over to India and this is not acceptable as Bangladesh does not have an extradition treaty with India," he said.

One of northeast India's most active separatist groups, ULFA has been decimated recently by a series of reverses leading to the arrest or death of many of its field commanders

Hard-pressed, ULFA have offered negotiations for reaching a peaceful settlement with the Indian government but talks have stalled.

Meanwhile, India has long claimed that Bangladesh is a fleeing ground for northeast