Dhaka, Dec 8 (IANS) Bangladesh was ready to tackle any threat from Indian separatist group ULFA, whose top leader Arabinda Rajkhowa surrendered to Indian authorities last week and has threatened retaliation at being “betrayed” by Dhaka, a minister has said.
“If they carry out any attack, we’re ready to tackle that,” Home Minister Sahara Khatun Monday said while referring to the United Liberation Front of Asom, many of whose senior leaders have in the past operated from Bangladesh.

Supportive of India’s effort to start a peace dialogue with the banned outfit, Dhaka last week facilitated the detention of ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa.

Now in Indian custody, Rajkhowa has been reported as saying: “Bangladesh has 100 percent betrayed me.”

His deputy commander-in-chief Raju Barua has been quoted as saying that “betrayer Bangladesh” would not be spared.

Dhaka has denied any role in the arrest of the separatists, in Indian custody since Dec 5.

ULFA and some other separatist groups have in the past used Bangladeshi soil to carry out operations in India. Dhaka consistently denied their presence. The policy change came about eversince the Sheikh Hasina government took office in January.

Other top ULFA leaders, Paresh Baruah and Anup Chetia, who served a jail term here for travelling with fake documents, are still at large.

ULFA is a separatist group committed to establishing a sovereign Assam through an armed struggle.

The Indian government banned the organisation in 1990 and classified it as a terrorist group, while the US State Department lists it under “other groups of concern”.