The High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court on Wednesday commuted the sentence of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) leader Paresh Baruah, changing his sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment in the 10-truck arms smuggling case, lawyers said.
Paresh Baruah, the head of the military wing of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) was previously sentenced to death by a lower court in Bangladesh for his involvement in the arms shipment of 10 trucks seized in Chittagong in 2004, they said.
The ULFA is an outlawed organization which has been banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The High Court also acquitted six people, including the former Minister of State for Home Affairs of Bangladesh, Lutfuzzaman Babar, who were sentenced to death in the case. The court reduced the sentence of six other accused people, who were sentenced to death in the case, to 10 years, lawyers added.
ULFA split into two factions in 2011 when the pro-talk faction, led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, decided to return to Assam from "abroad" and participate in peace talks. Meanwhile, the other faction, ULFA (Independent), led by its commander Paresh Baruah, opposed negotiations.
