ULFA denies involvement in any attack on Sheikh Hasina

Guwahati, Jan 21 (UNI) The ULFA today denied that it had ever carried out any attack against the Bangladesh Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina Wajid.

In a statement, responding to a series of news reports about their involvement, the ULFA claimed that one of their cadres Pallab Saikia was arrested and a forced confession extracted from him.

'' This was done to create a rift between Bangladesh and us. We never carry out any attack away from our own soil. It is against our policy. This is an attempt to project us as as terrorists before the international community, '' the statement said.

The security agencies had confirmed that the ULFA tried to eliminate Sheikh Hasina in August, 2004 by planting a bomb in a public rally and in that case the person responsible was arrested.

'' The ULFA certainly would like to distance from the incident now, knowing fully well that there is a coming change of government in Bangladesh and things would no longer rosy for them, '' said a senior intelligence officer.

ULFA had not only camps inside Bangladesh but in fact ULFA ''C-in-C'' Paresh Baruah operated from Dhaka under direct patronage from ISI and in fact the Union Government had provided the information to Bangladesh authorities, said Asom IGP SB Khagen Sharma.

The ULFA' s statement had been seen as desperate statement to stay away from the possible tough time coming due to the change of government, he added.

UNI