Is ULFA-I Chief Paresh Baruah Really Returning to Bangladesh? Anup Chetia Speaks Out

Reports that United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) chief Paresh Baruah might return to Bangladesh have again surfaced in the national media, thereby creating a wave of speculation and unease in India's northeast.

Several media houses reported that the elusive Baruah, who is hiding in China, would shift base to Dhaka and was likely to meet some clandestine groups and even elements affiliated to Jamaat-e-Islami. These discussions, according to reports, were meant for strengthening the insurgent networks in the northeastern states of India.

However, pro-talk ULFA leader Anup Chetia on Thursday has categorically refuted these reports as "fabricated" and a part of a deliberate effort to distort facts.

In an exclusive statement, Chetia said,

“Paresh Baruah is not foolish. The Bangladesh court had earlier sentenced him to death in the 2004 Chattogram arms-smuggling case, which was later commuted to life imprisonment last year after a trial. Knowing this, why would he risk traveling there? Reports suggesting his return to Bangladesh are completely false. Certain political actors and investigative agencies have circulated these fabrications, seemingly to disrupt Indo-Bangladesh relations for political purposes. It could even be a deliberate strategy by Awami League leaders now in exile in India to complicate the political scenario in Bangladesh. Claims about ‘chopping chicken necks’ and linking it to India’s northeastern states are absurd and practically impossible; this is not a trivial matter. People are unnecessarily raising alarm. Moreover, political leaders under the interim government in Bangladesh appear to be blaming India for the current unrest, making public statements in international media to create an uproar here in India. Unfortunately, these actions end up affecting ordinary Bangladeshi citizens.”

He further highlighted the humanitarian impact, adding,

“Many Bangladeshi nationals travel to India for medical treatment, but with visas restricted due to the unrest, they are now at risk. This underscores the real human cost of spreading misinformation.”

Until recently, Paresh Baruah, popularly known as Paresh Asom in Assam, was the central figure of ULFA since its formation in 1979. ULFA has been leading an armed struggle for a sovereign and independent Assam from India. Earlier, after a split in the organization in 2011, he refused to join the peace talks and continued his armed struggle under ULFA (Independent). During the decades, close relations have remained intact between him, Pakistan, and its intelligence agency ISI. ULFA cadres were given training in Pakistan and Afghanistan by ISI during the 1990s. Baruah was implicated in the infamous 2004 arms smuggling case in Chittagong, Bangladesh, with ten truckloads of weapons, including grenades, rocket launchers, and millions of rounds of ammunition. A Bangladesh court sentenced him in absentia in that case. Baruah thereafter fled to Myanmar and then to China, where he currently lives near the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan province.

Recent intelligence reports suggest that Pakistan is trying to expand its influence in Bangladesh during the current interim dispensation with a view to rehabilitating the Indian insurgent groups and leaders like Baruah in Dhaka. Islamabad hopes for a government that would be sympathetic to such groups, emulating the model pursued during the BNP-Jamaat coalition regime when several insurgent operations targeting India's northeast were coordinated from Bangladesh, according to experts on Bangladesh affairs.

China is also said to have aided Baruah’s movement, which allowed him to be transferred from Ruili near the Arunachal Pradesh-Myanmar border to the Xishuangbanna Dai region of Yunnan province, an area that connects Southeast Asia in a very strategically sensitive location. The next phase may well be his movement to Bangladesh with active involvement of Pakistan’s security agencies.

Adding another dimension to the story, Anup Chetia spoke about former ULFA (I) self-styled Major General Arunoday Dohutia alias Bijit Gogoi, saying he was a traitor within the organisation. According to Chetia, while part of ULFA, Dohutia himself engineered killings of several cadres based on false accusations. “After Arunoday left ULFA, the organization has become better disciplined and more accountable. We as leadership of pro-talk faction do not accept such individuals,” he said.

Indian security and intelligence agencies have been following the situation closely.

According to sources, if Pakistan and China can succeed in the establishment of Baruah's presence in Dhaka, then there can be direct repercussions on India's northeast security, which might revive insurgent operations in Assam and other bordering areas.

Over years, India has tried to restore stability in the region through peace talks and negotiations with ULFA's pro-talk factions, but the consistent activity of Baruah remains an enduring challenge.

Anup Chetia's statement reveals not just the intricacy of insurgent networks but also the geopolitical complexity surrounding them.

"ULFA remains active but disciplined. We reject people who betray the organization. At the same time, spreading misinformation about leaders like Paresh Baruah only aggravates tensions between India and Bangladesh and puts innocent civilians at risk." 

While Bangladesh is undergoing political turmoil internally and India has become alert on the northeast borders, the case of Paresh Barua clearly points toward interlinked insurgency, regional geopolitics, and humanitarian concerns.

With Pakistan and China reportedly involved in facilitating movements by Baruah, India again feels the challenge of restoring security and stability in the northeast, and the next few months will be crucial in determining the contours of security in this region.

Also Read: No Peace Talks with ULFA-I Until Paresh Baruah Personally Joins Table: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma