Kolkata, October 13 2010: A prominent separatist leader from the north-east Indian state of Manipur has been arrested in Bangladesh and handed over, senior Indian officials say.

Rajkumar Meghen, who leads the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), was held by Bangladeshi police earlier this month, the officials said.

RK Meghen, whose alias is Sanayaima, was flown out of Bangladesh recently in an Indian aircraft, the officials said.

The UNLF is the oldest separatist group in India's north-east.

Formed in 1964 to fight for Manipur's liberation from India, the group is estimated to have 5,000 armed fighters.

It is the only group which has managed to retain territory in some areas of Manipur's borders with Burma, despite repeated military offensives by the Indian army.

Bangladesh has handed over more than 50 top leaders and activists of Indian separatist groups since a crackdown began in 2009.Many more have fled Bangladesh to evade capture or been caught on the border by Indian guards.

Indian officials said RK Meghen had moved to the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, from his hideout in Burma's Sagaing Division to line up an arms deal.

His movements were tracked by monitoring his communication with the arms dealers, they said.

Analysts say India may be trying to influence the UNLF leader to start negotiations.

But he has steadfastly refused to talk with India.

RK Meghen told the BBC six years ago that India must hold a plebiscite in Manipur under the aegis of the UN to ascertain whether Manipuris wanted to stay in India or not.

He was reportedly arrested in Burma in 2000 but released, prompting Indian protests.

The Burmese authorities remained silent.

The United National Liberation Front (UNLF), one of the oldest insurgent groups in the State was formed under the leadership of Arambam Samrendra on November 24, 1964 to achieve independence and a socialist society.

According to the South Asian Intelligence Review, a pan-Manipuri Youth League was formed in December 1968, which functioned as an overground body for the UNLF.

Later, differences within the outfit surfaced over the issue of strategies to be adopted.

While Samrendra Singh sought to spread ideological consciousness before launching an armed struggle, the more radical leader Oinam Sudhir Kumar established a Revolutionary Government of Manipur (RGM).

Samarendra Singh was killed by unidentified terrorists in Imphal on June 10, 2001 .

In the seventies and eighties, the UNLF concentrated mainly on mobilisation and recruitment.

In 1990, it decided to launch an armed struggle for the 'liberation' of Manipur from India.

In the same year, it formed an armed wing called Manipur People's Army (MPA) .

Soon after its formation, the UNLF leaders established a political relationship with the authority of the then East Pakistan, and underwent military training in that country in 1969.They also supported the Pakistani army during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.

The group has links with Naga and Mizo terrorist outfits as well.

On May 22, 1990, the UNLF, along with other insurgent groups operating in the Northeast � the National Socialist Council of Nagaland � Khaplang (NSCN-K), the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and the Kuki National Army (KNA) � floated a pan-Mongoloid coalition called the Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front (IBRF) to wage a "united struggle for the independence of Indo-Burma".

The UNLF has training camps in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

It also maintains close association with the NSCN-K .

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