Family of ULFA Leader Imprisoned in Bangladesh Seeks Government Intervention Amid Political Unrest
Dhubri, August 09, 2024: A family in Dhubri, Assam, has appealed to the Indian and Assam governments for the release of their imprisoned relative, Pradip Kumar Roy, currently held in Bangladesh. Roy, who has ties to the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), was convicted by a Bangladeshi court in 2015 for anti-national activities. The family is increasingly worried due to the recent political turmoil in Bangladesh.
Pradip Kumar Roy, 58, is the son of Madhusudan and Subhadra Roy, residents of Madhusoulmari Part-II village in Gauripur, Dhubri. He became involved with ULFA in 1990 and eventually served as the outfit’s Dhubri district secretary. Roy, also known as Deepjyoti Mahanta, was arrested by Dhubri police on July 13, 1996, in Bilasipara. After his release later that year, he disappeared, reportedly crossing into Bangladesh to work closely with ULFA chief Paresh Baruah.
In 1997, Roy, using the alias Ranjan Choudhury, was arrested by Bangladesh Police on July 17, 2012, in Laxmipur, Kishoreganj, along with fellow ULFA member Pradip Marak. The authorities seized firearms, ammunition, and explosives from their possession. Both men were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015 for their involvement in anti-national activities.
Roy’s family, who have had no contact with him for nearly 28 years, are desperate for his return. Concerned by the recent violence in Bangladesh, his siblings have urged the Indian and Assam governments to intervene and bring him home.
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