UZ chairman candidate abducted in Rangamati

21 January 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

Rangamati district Awami League (AL) and its front organisations brought out a procession in the town yesterday protesting abduction of their leader and Barkal upazila chairman candidate Santosh Kumar Chakma. The AL unit also urged the district administration to take necessary measures to rescue its leader and postpone today's election in the upazila. Santosh Kumar Chakma, joint secretary of district AL, was kidnapped by unidentified criminals from Kukichhara under Barkal upazila on Tuesday. A gang of criminals swooped on Santosh Chakma while he was returning home, concluding election campaign. They picked up Santosh at gunpoint and took him to deep forest. Later, the criminals demanded Tk 50 lakh as ransom for release of the AL leader, local and police sources said. Hridoy Chakma, nepew of Santosh Chakma, yesterday filed a case with Barkal Police Station accusing Koruna Mohan Chakma, who is also a candidate for the post of upazila chairman in the same upazila, and some other unknown persons of their involvement in the abduction, police said. Jubo league, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Swechchasebak league, front organizations of the ruling AL, took out the procession and then held a rally on the premises of Rangamati Deputy Commissioner's office. District AL leader Kerol Chakm, Jubo league leader Minthu Marma, BCL district unit president Akbar Hossain, secretary Asish Kumar Chakma, and Mujibur Rahman addressed the rally. They gave a 12-hour ultimatum to the district administration to rescue their abducted leader. Otherwise, they said a tougher agitation programme will be announced in the district. Joint forces, divided into several groups, have launched operations in different areas of the district to rescue Santosh Chakma.