Indian BSF's Ulfa claim found false
No Ulfa hotels, bank accounts exist
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/news/view.php?hidDate=2005-06-07&hidType=TOP&hidRecord=0000000000000000047623
Shariful Islam
The seven hotels run by the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) in three cities of Bangladesh, as claimed by a top official of Indian Border Security Force (BSF), do not exist at all, reveals an investigation carried out by The Daily Star.
The BSF official's claim that the Ulfa members are operating accounts in two private banks in
Indian state-run news agency PTI quoted SC Srivastava, BSF Inspector General of
Srivastava at a news conference in Shillong on Friday named three hotels -- Surma International on
The Daily Star correspondent searched the entire Mirpur-Pallabi area but did not find any hotel named Mohammadia. The members' list collected from Hotel Baboshayi Samity, an association of hotel owners, also shows there is no Mohammadia Hotel in this area.
During the investigation, The Daily Star correspondent found a small tin-shed restaurant named "Mohammadia Restaurant and Sweetmeat" in Senpara Parbata area under Kafrul Police Station, which is owned by Motiur
Rahman.
"I know Motiur for the last seven to eight years as he is running the wayside restaurant. This is a small restaurant and the customers are common people," said Mohammad Yousuf, a local resident. "No high-profile people visits this restaurant."
There are some 13 residential hotels in Mirpur Section-1 and Gabtoli areas, but none of them is named Mohammadia, as claimed by the BSF official.
The Daily Star correspondent also searched all six blocks on
"Let alone any international standard hotel, there is not even a low standard hotel in this area," said Faruq Hossain, a wayside
shop owner.
The search was conducted also on
The Daily Star correspondent visited the entire Banani and Gulshan areas where there is no hotel named Padma International. "I am running a business here for the last 10 years. I have never seen any hotel
named Padma International in Banani-Gulshan area," said manager of a rest house in Banani wishing not to be named.
However, there is a residential hotel named Padma at Malibagh, which is run by one Fazlul Haq. "I know the owner, who is running the business for the last 20 years. Low income traders use to stay here," said Moshiur Rahman Hiron, a local resident.
The BSF official claimed that the rebel outfit has two hotels in Sylhet, namely Keya International at Zinda Bazar managed by Dulal Roy alias Saidul, and Hotel Yamuna on
He also named two residential hotels in
The Daily Star staff correspondents in
BANK ACCOUNTS
Srivastava claimed that three bank accounts of Ulfa members had been traced in Arab Bangladesh Bank's Farm Gate Branch in
The investigation reveals the BSF official's claim is completely wrong. Even these banks do not have any branch in the mentioned areas.
Officials of Oriental Bank, formerly Al-Barakah Bank, and Arab Bangladesh Bank told The Daily Star that they have no branch in the locations mentioned by the BSF official and no Ulfa insurgent operates any account in any other branch.
"We have no branch at Pahartali in
A high official of Arab Bangladesh Bank wishing anonymity said they do not have any branch at Farmgate in
Different intelligence agencies also investigated the BSF official's claims but did not find any such hotels and bank accounts, sources in the intelligence agencies said.
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