TURA: One of the most important leaders of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), who was responsible for communicating with other northeastern rebel groups in Bangladesh, surrendered in South Garo Hills on Thursday morning.
Briyan R. Marak, who went by the name Millam (which means Garo sword), was the ‘foreign secretary’ of the outfit. He was hiding in Bangladesh for six years. He was in jail in the neighbouring country for 10 months.
The 40-year-old rebel from Tura’s Ringre Gittim locality crossed the border to surrender before SP Abraham T. Sangma at Baghmara, the district headquarters. He had a house in Williamnagar town.
Known among friends by the name ‘Sim’, the leader got close to jailed GNLA chairman and former deputy superintendent of police Champion R. Sangma when the latter was serving his probation in South Garo Hills district.
He joined GNLA on March 30, 2011, and within two weeks was sent to Bangladesh as the outfit’s foreign secretary. He was tasked by GNLA commander-in-chief Sohan D. Shira to open up channels of communication with other outfits from the North East operating from that neighbouring country.
“He is one of the senior most figures of the GNLA leadership with a vast knowledge about the operational activities of the group and its links with other outfits. This surrender is a big blow to GNLA’s activities on foreign soil. He was the last remaining senior leader left with Sohan,” said Meghalaya DGP Swaraj Bir Singh.
According to police, Briyan played a key part in forging close ties with the banned ULFA Independent, NDFB and the Naga outfit NSCN (United) in that country.
He also arranged for Champion’s stay in Dhaka and Mymensing before he was arrested by Bangladeshi security forces and later handed over to India.
ULFA has a considerable presence in Mymensing district and had in the past operated camps and safe houses for its men in Bangladesh. Garo rebels are also said to have been given shelter in these hideouts.
One of ULFA’s most wanted commanders, Dristi Rajkhowa, is said to be entrenched inside Bangladesh for many years supervising the flow of arms through the border into Garo Hills and further into Assam.
The GNLA foreign secretary was arrested by Bangladesh police on December 15, 2012, for entering the country without a passport from India. He spent 10 months in jail.
