Infighting in ethnic party leaves at least 6 killed

At least six people were gunned down and four others injured in a deadly gunfight between two factions of United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), a Chattogram Hill Tracts-based political party, in Swanirbhar of Khagrachhari sadar upazila on Saturday morning.

Sadar police station officer-in-charge Shahadat Hossain said the gun battle between members of UPDF and its breakaway faction, UPDF (Democratic), broke out for establishing control in the area around 8:00am, leaving the six people dead.

Three of the deceased are Tapan Chakma, district unit president of UPDF-backed Pahari Chhatra Parishad, another leader Elton Chakma, and Ganatrantrik Jubo Forum leader Palash Chakma, also backed by the Prasit Khisha-led UPDF, reports UNB.

Three of the injured were referred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) from Sadar Hospital for better treatment.

Meanwhile, additional police and army personnel were deployed in the area amid growing tensions there, the OC added.

On 3 May, advocate Shaktiman Chakma, 55, chairman of Naniarchar upazila parishad and a leader of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (MN Larma faction), was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in Rangamati.

On the following day, five people were killed and eight others injured in a gun attack on a motorcade of the followers of Shaktiman Chakma in Betchhari of the upazila while they were going to attend the funeral programme of Shaktiman.