Indian rebel leader arrested in Bangladesh

New Delhi - One of the leaders of a separatist group operating in India's north-eastern state of Assam has been arrested in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, Indian media reported Wednesday. Arabinda Rajkhowa, chairman of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and its publicity secretary Apurba Baruah were arrested by the special branch of the Bangladesh police recently, the IANS news agency reported quoting official sources.

Both were expected to be handed over to Indian security forces soon, the report said.

The arrests come after Bangladesh decided to crackdown on Indian insurgent groups operating on its soil.

The ULFA is under pressure as its leadership is split and key leaders are in prison.

Founding members Rajkhowa and Paresh Baruah have fallen out, the NDTV network reported.

Rajkhowa founded the ULFA in 1979 with five others including Baruah, the outfit's commander-in-chief, who is believed to have fled Bangladesh and is either in Malaysia or China.

Indian media described the arrest of 56-year-old Rajkhowa as a big breakthrough as he had eluded security forces for the past two decades.

Recently, two ULFA leaders, Chitrabon Hazarika and Sasha Chowdhury, were arrested in Bangladesh and handed over to India's Border Security Force.

ULFA leaders have been residing in Bangladesh since the Indian army launched an offensive against them in Assam in the early 1990s.

The arrests by Bangladeshi authorities are seen as a move by Dhaka to improve ties with New Delhi.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit India in mid-December. India has been requesting that Bangladesh act against Indian rebels on its soil.