GUWAHATI, June 28 – Close on the heels of the ULFA wrecking havoc in the Upper Assam districts in recent weeks, there is news now that the banned NDFB is preparing to rear its head again in the Lower Assam districts. According to reports here, the outfit, that has been lying low since the operations in Bhutan last December, is preparing to launch a series of attacks in the area. According to sources here, the Bodo outfit has begun to regroup after the massive setbacks suffered in Bhutan where almost half its men either perished or were captured in the Himalayan kingdom. Among them were a few top leaders of the outfit. The outfit has already launched a massive fund collection drive in the Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Nalbari and Barpeta districts. The fortunes of the group, most of it stashed away safely in Bangladesh, is estimated to be over Rs 3 crore. A large part of it has been invested in lucrative businesses in Bangladesh, very much like the ULFA.
The NDFB’s top leaders, ensconced in Bangladesh, have asked the cadres scattered across Assam to prepare for a major onslaught. The leaders are now also trying to establish contact with a Myanmar rebel group for supplying arms and ammunition. The NDFB had links with such groups in the past as well. The arsenal of the outfit was badly depleted when the Royal Bhutan Army seized a major part of it during its Operation “All Clear”, the sources informed.
While cash is no problem for the outfit, with its coffers already overflowing with extorted money, the outfit is reportedly facing problems in getting the arms and ammunition to reach their cadres. The increased security vigil in the State has proved to be a major hurdle for the outfit. The NDFB is said to be trying to get the arms and ammunition smuggled from Myanmar through Mizoram and Bangladesh. It is planning to use the services of professional gunrunners and smugglers to get its supply to the desired destination. This is being done to save its already demoralized cadres the trouble of having to expose themselves to the security forces.
Contact has been established with several major smuggling mafia groups in Bangladesh, the sources said. They have agreed to help the outfit transport its armaments from the Bangladesh-Myanmar border right up to the international border in the Dhubri district. The NDFB, however, is reluctant to use this route knowing well that the area is already under strict surveillance. The Garo Hills route in Meghalaya is virtually closed to the NDFB given its strained relations with the proscribed ANVC ultras whose sway is undisputed.
It is under this circumstance that the NDFB is now exploring the possibility of using Mizoram as the route of entry of its arms shipments to India. From there, the cargo is then to be brought to Assam in public transport vehicles through Meghalaya. This route, the NDFB feels is quite secure, given that there is little watch on the route.