Leaders of the rebel organisation ULFA disclosed on Sunday that they were forced to hold peace negotiations with the Indian government in 2011 as a result of the “pro-India” Awami League administration's onslaught on Indian insurgent organisations in Bangladesh.
Sashadhar Choudhury, the "foreign secretary" of ULFA, claims that after Sheikh Hasina's Awami League won the 2008 elections and took power, Bangladesh's position changed.
According to Choudhury, the Awami League government chose to destroy every camp belonging to an Indian rebel organisation in order to help India in return for India's support during the Liberation War of 1971.
With this abrupt shift in policy, the insurgent organisation found Bangladesh to be an unwelcoming place, as evidenced by the red-corner notices and life-size photos of ULFA members at airports.
Given that ULFA had previously been driven from Bhutan in 2003 as part of "Operation All Clear," which was directed on Indian insurgents, the situation for them became very severe.
ULFA found itself without a safe haven as their leaders were progressively captured and imprisoned, including their military chief Paresh Baruah, who was in another country.
When these difficulties arose, ULFA commanders came to the realisation that Bangladesh was no longer a safe haven for them. Choudhury added that the group had nowhere to go, forcing them to consider the Assam civil society organisations' peace talks proposal.
This choice finally resulted in an agreement being signed with the government, thus formalising the peace negotiations that had been started in 2011 and ending the 44-year-long armed movement.
