UPDF member shot dead in Khagrachari

❐ Staff Correspondent

The peaceful hills of Khagrachari have once again become turbulent due to the hot bullets of fratricidal conflict. Newton Chakma alias Nirmal (47) lost his life in an ambush by a rival group in the Akbari area of ​​Ward No. 2 of Sadar Upazila on Wednesday morning, April 8.

He was a member of the regional organization United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF-Prosit Group).

UPDF (Prosit) sources claim that Newton Chakma and a colleague were staying in the Akbari area in the morning for organizational work. At that time, an armed group of eight people coming from the direction of Maischari came on a motorcycle and ambushed them.

Newton Chakma collapsed on the spot, although he managed to save his life in the face of indiscriminate gunfire.

The organization led by Prasit Khisa has directly blamed the UPDF (Democratic) group for the killing. UPDF spokesperson Angya Marma alleged that the planned attack was carried out under the leadership of Ajit Chakma.

On the other hand, Amar Jyoti Chakma, central organizer of the UPDF (Democratic) party, denied the allegations and said: “We have no involvement in this incident. This is probably the result of some internal conflict among them.”

The deceased Newton Chakma was the son of the late Sonadhan Chakma of Mogban Union in Rangamati. However, he currently lived with his family in the collective farm area of ​​Mahalchhari Upazila in Khagrachhari.

Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station OC Md. Kay Kislu said that immediately after receiving the information, the police reached the spot and started the work of recovering the body.

He said that the real mystery of the murder and those responsible behind it will be identified through the investigation.

This violence in the hills is nothing new. Locals believe that today’s counter-attack took place in the aftermath of the murder of UPDF Democratic leader Niti Dutta Chakma in Panchhari on March 27.

This bloody conflict is now causing intense fear among the common people.