"There is no Ulfa insurgent in Bangladesh," Addition Inspector General of Police Anwarul Iqbal said a press briefing, 10 days after a top official of India's Border Security Force (BSF) claimed that Ulfa runs seven hotels and operates three bank accounts in Bangladesh.

Asked about Ulfa's alleged involvement in smuggling of a huge cache of firearms and explosives, which the police seized from Kahalu upazila in Bogra, Iqbal declined to comments on the ground that the case is on trial.

On the killing of six alleged Ulfa activists at Komolganj upazila in Moulvibazar last month during an encounter with the members of law-enforcing agencies, he said, "It is not proved that they are Ulfa insurgents."

About a BSF officials claim the additional IG said the police did not find any hotels controlled by Ulfa and any bank account operated by the insurgents in Bangladesh as claimed by a top official of Indian Border Security Force (BSF).

He also said the people managing the hotels and operating the bank accounts were also not found.

Indian state-run news agency Press Trust India quoted SC Srivastava, BSF inspector general of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland, on June 3, as saying at a press conference in Shillong that Ulfa has been running international standards hotels in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. The hotels he named are Surma International on Taj Mahal Road at Mohammadpur, Hotel Mohammadia at Mirpur and Padma International at Banani in Dhaka.

According to him, these hotels are managed by Subal Barua alias Ahmed, Satish Sharma alias Kamal and Ashish Deka alias Hossain.

The BSF official claimed that the rebel outfit has two hotels in Sylhet, namely Keya International at Zindabazar managed by Dulal Roy alias Saidul and Hotel Jamuna on University Road by Anil Dey alias Sohel.

He also named two residential hotels in Chittagong; Hotel Basundhara managed by Subhash Deka alias Humayun at Halishahar and Hotel Raj King run by Kanailal Barman alias Rubel at Pahartali.

Srivastava claimed that three bank accounts of Ulfa members had been traced in Arab Bangladesh Bank's Farm Gate Branch in Dhaka and Zindabazar Branch in Sylhet, and Al-Baraka Bank's Pahartali Branch in Chittagong.

Asked about the discontent in the police over the salary discrimination, Iqbal said, "We hope the issue would be resolved as the prime minister has taken up the matter and directed the state minister for home to take necessary measures."

Top police officials including the chief of Special Branch were present at the briefing at the Police Headquarters.