Partial ULFA businesses in Bangladesh exposed

It was already rumored for years that United Liberation Fronts of Assam [ULFA] had invested millions of dollars in a number of business ventures in Bangladesh since 1984. India's popular Zee TV has published an exclusive report on September 21, 2011 quoting Indian security and intelligence that 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. The report further quoted Indian and Bangladeshi intelligence reports stating ULFA top commander Paresh Baruah has invested more than US$ 20 million in a number of business ventures in Bangladesh. Zee News has secured a copy of the top secret report prepared by the security agencies.
Zee TV's reporter Dinesh Sharma, quoting the intelligence reports revealed that ULFA commander has invested US$ 7 million for acquiring 17 percent share with Bashundhara Real Estate [East-West Properties] in Bangladesh. Bashundhara is owned by Akbar Sobhan aka Shah Alam, who owns a number of newspapers named The Daily Sun, The Kaler Kantha and The Bangladesh Protidin alongside a news agency. Bashundhara has already emerged into one of the largest business conglomerates in the country, which started business in 1984.
The same report says US$ 3 million has been invested in Jamuna Group's housing project. Jamuna Group owns a Bangla daily newspaper named Jugantor.
Other projects where the ULFA commander has been reported to have been holding shares are:

1. Samit Group [owned by the Commerce Minister Lt. Col. Faruk Khan]. Investment amount US$ 2 million.
2. Chowdhury Shipping owned by Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. Investment amount US$ 5 million.
3. Wimfrey Chinese Restaurant. Investment amount US$ 100,000.
4. Holding 30 percent shares with Samorita Hospital in Dhaka, owned by Dr. Jahid Hassan.
5. Holding 30 percent shares with Kashem Textiles, through pro-Chinese political leader named AKM Maidul Islam, who is a lawmaker from Jatiyo Party in the current parliament. Jatiyo Party was formed by former military dictator Hussain Muhammed Ershand, who also is known for his China connections.
6. Holding shares with One Group in Bangladesh. Invested amount US$ 2 million. This group is owned by Giasuddin Al Mamun, one of the top cronies of BNP's infamous Hawa Bhaban.
7. Owning shares at Eastern Housing through Manzurul Islam Bablu. Investment amount US$ 4 million.

According to counter-terrorism specialists, the reports of ULFA's investment in Bangladesh are nothing new. The matter has been published in local and international media for years. Name of a leading media house and business conglomerate in Bangladesh came up as being funded by ULFA in some of those reports.
In 2007, US think-tank, Strategic Foresight Inc claimed that ULFA had invested US$ 6 million for at least 15 candidates belonging to both the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League.
The Stratfor report observed that six million dollars was a "handsome contribution" coming from an Indian militant outfit, and then went on to say that the ULFA was "no ordinary organization". Its chief Paresh Barua was "an enormously wealthy racketeer worth approximately US$110 million" with business operations throughout India, Bangladesh and the Persian Gulf. The business interests, Stratfor said, included hotels, consulting firms, driving schools, tanneries, department stores, textile factories, travel agencies, investment companies, shrimp trawlers and soft drink factories. According to the think-tank, the ULFA funded its militant activities through "a sophisticated extortion network". It noted that major tea companies in Assam continuously faced pay-or-die threats, but preferred to stay quiet both out of fear as well as due to business interests.
Commenting on ULFA's exposed investment in Bangladesh, which was reveled by Zee News quoting intelligence sources, counter-terrorism specialists say, ULFA's investments have already spread in a number of projects in Bangladesh, which are yet to come into the microscope of the intelligence agencies. Largest investments of ULFA are behind some organizations and business conglomerates whose names did not appear in the lists disclosed by Zee News. ULFA is running businesses in Bangladesh ranging from florist shop to multi-national level soft drink factories. They also have significant amount behind some multi-level marketing companies in Bangladesh as well as cooperative credit societies.
The counter-terrorism specialists say, ULFA's monthly revenue accrued from the invested projects is above US$ 9-8 million, if not more. They said, the report prepared by National Security Intelligence [NSI] in Bangladesh is "biased enough", which "lacks lot more information on some of the well-known ULFA funded projects."