Dinesh Sharma
New Delhi: ULFA top commander Paresh Baruah, who has been vocal against peace talks with the Centre, while he is still on the run, allegedly has widespread financial network in Bangladesh with huge investments across various businesses. According to top intelligence sources it is due to this vested business interest that Paresh Baruah doesn't want to return back to India and is against talks with the Centre.
This confirms floating suspicions surrounding this issue.
According to the report of Indian security and intelligence agencies and the National Security Intelligence (NSI) of Bangladesh which carried out a three-month investigation against ULFA top commander, Baruah has invested more than USD 20 million in Bangladesh allegedly under a fake identity.
Zee News has secured a copy of the top secret report prepared by the security agencies.
The report reveals that USD 14 million of the aforesaid investment is apportioned to one Karujjama, a London-based businessman. In Basundhara Real Estate in Dhaka owned by one Akbar Sobhan Shah Alam, Baura owns 17 per cent shares with an investment of 7 million dollars.
In the Eastern Housing Project owned by one Babul he has invested 4 million dollars while in the Jamuna Group Housing Project he has invested 3 million dollars.
He also has shares under the false identity of Jumen, a Dubai-based resident with 30 per cent shares in Samrita Hospital owned by Dr Jahid Hassan in Dhaka and a similar stake in Kasem Textile owned by one AKM Maidul Islam.
ULFA COMMANDER also has a 30 per cent stake in a shipping company, Chowdhury Shipping owned by Salauddin Kader Chowdhury. All these investment alone are close to 5 million dollars.
Baruah also has a stake in a well-known Chinese restaurant called Wimfray Chinese Restaurant with an investment of 1 lakh dollars.
Baruah's earning, according to security agencies which they have given in this report, from these investments is 75,000 dollars in every quarter. He earns 2 million dollars from his investments in Samit
Group and One Group Dilkusha.
Reports also says ULFA top commander is also getting more than 5 lakh dollars annually through the Western Money Changer transactions. This money is being consumed to fuel terrorism like buying weapons and paying money to ULFA cadres.
According to top intelligence sources, Baurah’s finances are already under the scanner of enforcement agencies of Bangladesh who have started a major crackdown against these business establishments after being tipped off by Indian agencies.
First Published: Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 17:25