Even as the Union Home Ministry sent a letter inviting the ULFA for talks, the militant group killed a district-level Congress leader and blew up a bridge on NH-52, among other acts of violence. Meanwhile, reports from Bangladesh said six ‘‘Indian rebels’’, believed to be members of the ULFA, were today shot dead in a joint operation conducted by Bangladesh Rifles and Rapid Action commandoes of the Bangladesh Army.The reports said the six ‘‘Indian rebels’’ were killed in Maulavi Bazar area of Kamalganj district, bordering Tripura.In a letter to ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, the Home Ministry has indicated that the Centre would consider extending a ceasefire with the outfit. The letter, which was handed over to noted Assamese writer and Jnanpith winner Indira Goswami, was forwarded to the ULFA today.Confirming this, Goswami told The Indian Express that she was hopeful the ULFA would respond to the government’s offer. ‘‘I do not want to disclose the contents for obvious reasons, but it is one to which I am sure the ULFA leaders will respond positively,’’ she said.Official sources here confirmed that ULFA militants exploded a powerful bomb, badly damaging a bridge on NH-52 that links Tinsukia in Upper Assam with Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh. Militants also blew up two electricity transformers under Kakapathar police station in Tinsukia late last night, while a district-level Congress leader was shot dead in Jorhat, the home town of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.Amrit Barua, president of Dergaon Block Congress Committee, was shot from close range inside his office at Dhekargorah under Jorhat police station yesterday, even as the Congress government organised a series of celebrations statewide to mark the completion of four years in office.In another incident yesterday, suspected ULFA militants attacked an Army convoy in Pengeri of Tinsukia district. Three jawans of 16 Grenadiers were injured in the attack.
