Dhaka: A court on Wednesday sentenced India’s separatist organization ‘United Liberation Front of Assam’ (ULFA) leader Ranjan Chowdhury and his Bangladeshi aide Pradip Marak to life term imprisonment in an arms case and also in terrorism case.
Kishoreganj District and Sessions Judge Mahbub Ul Islam pronounced the verdict in presence of the convicts. The court also fined the lifers Tk 20,000 each.
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-9) had arrested Ranjan Chowdhury alias Major Ranjan,46, former general secretary of Dhubri district unit ULFA, and his Bangladeshi aide Pradip Marak,57, of Bakura village in Jhinaigati Upazila of Sherpur district, from Bhairab Upazila in Kishoreganj district on 17 July, 2010 with a number of weapons in their possession.
The elite force also recovered two pistols, four rounds of bullet, four handmade bombs and some bomb- making materials from Ranjan’s hideout at Lakhsmipur village in Bhairab Upazila.
RAB filed four separate cases, including for intrusion, arms, explosives and terrorism, against the duo with the Bhairab Police Station.
A pistol, a revolver, four rounds of ammunition and four grenades were seized from them.
Four cases were filed against them the same day under the Arms Act, Explosives Substances Act, illegal entry in the country and anti-terrorism acts.
In January next year, police pressed charges against the two in the cases except the one for illegally entering Bangladesh.
The trials started on February 3, 2013.
On Wednesday, the court of Kishoreganj’s District and Sessions Judge delivered verdicts in the cases under the arms and anti-terrorism acts in the presence of the two defendants.
Ranjan was found guilty on both counts, while Pradip was acquitted in the case under the arms act.
After the arrests in 2012, RAB had said that Ranjan Chowdhury was referred to as major Ranjan as he specialised in military training and was working for ULFA since 1990.
Ranjan, who hails from Dhubri Gouripur’s Madhu Shoulmari area of Assam, had carried out several operations under aliases such as Ranjan Sisim, Pradip Roy, Dwip Jyoti, Ranju Barhoi and Masud Chowdhury, according to RAB.
He escaped to Bangladesh in 1995 after serving a year in prison in India. However, he was in constant touch with ULFA leaders in Bhutan and Nepal, including its military wing Chief Paresh Barua.
Ranjan lived at Gazni area in Jhenaigati Upazila in Sherpur district, Bangladesh, and married a Bangladeshi woman Sabitri Dum in 2001. It is said that ULFA leaders Paresh Barua and Shashadhar Chowdhury attended the marriage ceremony.
His associate Pradip Marak used to work for a local NGO in Sherpur district, but later got involved with ULFA after coming into contact with Ranjan.
ULFA leader, Ranjan Chowdhury alias Major Ranjan, had been staying in Bangladesh since 1997 and maintaining contact with the group, the elite police unit had then said.
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