Anirban Chowdhury, a young man from Comilla, Bangladesh, married Banya Barua (27), daughter of Golap Barua alias Anup Chetia, one of the founders and general secretary of ULFA, a banned insurgent organization in northeastern Assam, India.
The marriage was solemnized in the presence of the families of the bride and groom at Jerai village under Chabua assembly constituency of Dibrugarh district of Assam. Anirban currently resides in Melbourne, Australia. Their wedding reception will be held on November 25 at the ISKCON temple in Melbourne.
Bangladeshi youth Anirban Chowdhury’s home is in Dhaka’s elite residential area of Dhanmondi. When Anup Chetia was in jail in Bangladesh, his daughter Banya Barua was studying at Mastermind International School in Dhaka. There he fell in love with classmate Anirban Chowdhury. Banya-Anirvana’s love continued for seven years. At that time, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) insurgency was at its peak.
It is known that Master Mind International of Dhanmondi of Dhaka is known as Anirban and Banya. After that a love relationship developed between them. At that time, Anup Chetia and his family were hiding in Bangladesh. He was arrested on December 21, 1997 from a house in Dhaka’s Adabar area by the Bangladesh Intelligence Police. A case was filed against him for illegally staying in Bangladesh, keeping foreign currency and satellite phone. Bangladesh handed over Golap Barua alias Anup Chetia to India in 2015. He was in jail in Bangladesh for 18 years.
Bangladesh handed over Golap Barua alias Anup Chetia to India in 2015. So that he can participate in the peace talks between ULFA and the Central Government of India. On the other hand, love continues to flow. That love finally came true last September 30.
On this day, the couple got married at Anup Chetia’s house in Jeraigaon, Assam. ULFA leader Anup Barua himself posted the wedding pictures of this couple.
Anup Chetia said, since I was in jail in Bangladesh. So I didn’t know about their love relationship. I have love and respect for the people of Bangladesh for the way they helped us during our revolution. That is why I did not object to this marriage. He said these things to the Deccan Herald on Thursday.
Note that in 1979, Anup Chetia and some other youths of Assam decided to take up arms. formed ULFA. They want to solve the problem of illegal migration from neighboring Bangladesh to Assam. According to ULFA, the identity of the indigenous people of Assam is under threat due to Bangladeshi illegal immigrants. But after the army operation several ULFA leaders including Anup Chetia fled to Bangladesh. Deccan Herald writes, ULFA set up camp inside Bangladesh. From there they started running their activities.
Anup Chetia said, to improve people-to-people relations, the young women of Assam and Bangladesh should get married more. Anup Chetia belongs to Motok community of Assam. It is a tribal community of Assam.
Numerous questions have arisen about this marriage through social media. Many have raised the question, what position will Anup Chetia take now on the issue of alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the revised National Register of Citizens (CAA). A Facebook post said, since the boy (Anirban) is a Bangladeshi Hindu, will Anup Chetia oppose the CAA? Because CAA has said to give citizenship to Hindus who have gone to India from Bangladesh.
But in this case, one of his friends took the side of Anup Chetia. He said Anirban did not come to live in Assam. His house is in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. He cannot be compared to an alleged illegal immigrant from Bangladesh.
Anup Chetia is currently leading the peace talks with the central government of India as the head of ULFA’s pro-negotiation team. Another section is led by Paresh Barua, ULFA-Swadan. Who is currently doing armed movement as Chairperson and Commander in Chief. Chetia and five other leaders, including ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, are believed to be hiding somewhere in China or Myanmar after earlier fleeing to Bangladesh.
(October 7/RZ)