Guwahati: The ULFA(Independent) on Saturday urged a Bangladesh court to ‘reconsider’ the death sentence on its chief Paresh Barua in the 2004 arms haul case as Barua was a ‘freedom fighter’, and not a ‘criminal’.
In an emailed statement to media here, ULFA(I) ‘chairman’ Dr Abhizeet Asom said, ‘The ULFA(I) has taken note of the recent verdict on the case of the Ten Truck Load of military hardware seizure at Chittagong , by a Special Court of Bangladesh. The court has pronounced death sentence on my vice-chairman and chief of staff in absentia on that case.’
The militant leader defended Barua’s involvement stating that ‘major general Paresh Asom’s (earlier known as Paresh Barua) involvement on the procurement of arms was for defensive purposes in fighting a low intensity war imposed by the Indian State against the freedom seeking people of Assam’. ‘While respecting the judiciary of Bangladesh, I would like to reiterate in strongest term that he is a freedom fighter and not a criminal as per the court verdict,’ he added.
Abhizeet sought to draw parallels with Bangladesh’s Mukti Bahini and pointed that the freedom fighters of that nation were at one time branded as traitors.
‘ Every member of my organization convicted by the courts of Bangladesh needs to be looked at with this reflection in mind. They are no lesser individuals than your liberating militia during the 1971 war of your Independence. The ULFA(I) is the Mukti Bahini of Assam in the same vein,’ the statement claimed.
Abhizeet maintained that most of the convicted persons in the case of the arms shipment in Chittagong are innocent.
‘Only person we believe is guilty in the case is Ex-NSI director wing commander Sahabuddin who acted at the behest of RAW for his self interest,’ he added.
‘In light of this statement from the chair of ULFA (I), the Bangladesh Judiciary should review the verdict through a due process of the law of the country and let the innocent ones go free,’ the statement added.
A Special Court in Chittagong on January 30 awarded death penalty to Paresh Barua, and sentenced to death two former BNP Ministers Moti-ur-Rahman Nizami and Lutfozzaman Babar and three former top intelligence officers in the sensational weapons for ULFA case.
Ten truckloads of arms were seized as they were to be transported to Assam from the jetty of a fertilizer factory on the Karnaphuli River on April 2, 2004. (UN
