UPDF’s youth wing leader shot dead

A leader of youth forum of United People’s Democratic Front was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Rangamati Sadar upazila yesterday.

His two sisters, Kripa Sona Chakma and Bhagya Shobha Chakma, sustained bullet injuries as they tried to save their brother.

The deceased was Dharma Sing Chakma, 42, central vice-president of the Democratic Youth Forum, Muhammad Abdur Rakib, superintendent of Rangamati police, told The Daily Star.

He said police handed the body over to his family after post-mortem, adding that the two injured were taken to Chattogram for treatment.

The incident occurred around 7:00am in the Kutukchhari residential area. An armed group surrounded the house of Dharma. As he attempted to flee, the attackers opened fire, killing him on the spot, said a statement of the Democratic Youth Forum.

In the statement, the UPDF blamed the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS), led by Santu Larma, for the killing. However, PCJSS denied the allegation.

Talking to this newspaper, Sajib Chakma, assistant information and publicity affairs secretary of PCJSS, said he learned of the death through social media, adding that there was no question of their organisation being responsible for the incident.

Protesting the murder, UPDF activists blocked the Rangamati-Khagrachhari regional highway for an hour.