The plan to transport the huge cache of sophisticated arms and ammunition, seized at Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Factory jetty on April 2 2004, was made at Bankapi Royal Rose Hotel in Bangkok.

A number of top leaders of secessionist organisations active in India's north-western states frequented the three-star Bankapi Royal Rose Hotel in the somewhat quiet suburbs of the Thai capital.

Anthony Davis, journalist of internationally-reputed Jane's Intelligence Review, made an extensive investigation into the incident of seizure of huge cache of arms and ammunition in Chittagong. He mentioned the meetings in his report headlined "New Details Emerge on Bangladesh Arms Haul" published in August 1, 2004 issue of the magazine, reported Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

In February last year, when a Prothom Alo correspondent talked to Davis in Bangkok, he had said that different sources confirmed that Bankapi Royal Rose Hotel is a den of the Ulfa (United Liberation Front of Assam) and arms smugglers. He said, "I have learnt that the issue of sending arms was finalised in a meeting at this hotel. I could not be sure about all who were present in the meeting. However, I am almost sure that Anthony Shimray was present. He was the main person behind the collection of the consignment of the arms."

Davis had doubts about the presence of any Bangladesh nationals in the meeting. He, however, claimed that it was absurd that intelligence agencies of Bangladesh did not know about arms being smuggled using Bangladesh territory.

He claimed the arms and ammunition were bought from a Chinese factory.

Davis said his sources say that the two trawlers, from which the arms were offloaded in Chittagong, belonged to Ulfa. He claimed that Bangladeshi security officials accidentally caught the consignment of arms and ammunition.

The huge cache of arms was brought for Ulfa, secessionist organisation of India's north-western state Assam. Ulfa needed to collect arms for their existence. Bhutan government in collaboration with Indian army in December, 2003, and January, 2004, conducted a large-scale operation to destroy Ulfa in Bhutan's territory. The operation was dubbed "Operation All Clear". Many Ulfa members were killed and arrested.

According to the Jane's Intelligence Review report, Ulfa did not have a good relation with Naga secessionist group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). However, after suffering the huge loss in the operation the two secessionist groups came closer. The main arms collector of Naga secessionist group Anthony Shimray had good connection with international arms smugglers.

The Prothom Alo report quoting Davis said he came to know during investigation, with information gleaned from different persons and from the report of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh, that Pakistan army intelligence, ISI, had financed the consignment. However, Davis claimed that the agency does its work very discreetly leaving no trail.

He said he came to know that the meeting at the hotel decided to send the consignment of the arms after unloading it at Akyab port in Myanmar or on the coast of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. The arms were supposed to reach the secessionists of India's north-western state through Chin province of Myanmar or Mizoram state of India.

Since the rugged route was not safe enough, the plan was abandoned at the last moment and the consignment of arms was sent to the coast of Chittagong. Security analysts say the last moment change of route could have been a strategic move.

[Judging importance of the Prothom Alo news, we decided to re-run the report for our readers in English]