NANNERCHAR MURDERS No case, no arrest yet

Security forces continued operations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to capture suspects in the killing of five leaders and activists of factions of two Chittagong Hill Tracts-based political parties –– United Peoples Democratic Front and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati
Samity –– and a rent-e-car driver in at Nannerchar in Rangamati in May 3-4.
Neither anyone was arrested nor was any case filed until Sunday evening for the murders that caused fresh tension in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, home to various ethnic minority groups.
‘No matter whoever said whatever, we want to arrest actual perpetrators,’ Rangamati superintendent of police Md Alamgir Kabir told New Age Sunday evening.
He said that no case was filed and none were arrested so far.
‘We, along with other forces, continued our operations,’ said another police official. 
Inter Services Public Relations director Lieutenant Colonel Alamgir Kabir said that he had no information about operations in the area. 
On May 3, at least three assailants shot Nannerchar upazila parishad chairman Shaktiman Chakma, also vice-president of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity faction, known as PCJSS (MN Larma), in front of his officer at the upazila headquarters in the morning.
Within 25 hours, assailants ambushed and killed Chittagong Hill Tracts-based political party United Peoples Democratic Front faction chief Tapan Jyoti Chakma, three of his associates and their hired driver Abdur Rahim Sajib, 36, on Khagrachari-Rangamati road at Betchari on their way to the funeral of Shaktiman Chakma on May 4. 
The Parbatya Bangali Chhatra Parishad and Parbatya Odhikar Forum called off Sunday evening their three-day general strike in Khagrachari, which began in the morning.
The strike for the remaining 60 hours was withdrawn after negotiation with the administration, said a release signed by Bangali Chhatra Parishad organising secretary M Parvez Alam.
The two platforms of Bengalis enforced the strike demanding arrest of the killers of microbus driver Sajib, compensation for his family, rescue of three abducted Bengali traders, ban on all ‘extremist tribal organisations’, and recovering illegal arms in the hills.
Microbus driver Sajib was killed along with four leaders of a UPDF faction in Friday’s gun attack.
New Age correspondent in Khagrachari reported that transport operation remained suspended since the morning while addition police were deployed at important points of the district.
Pickets were seen burning tyres at the main road of Khagrachari district headquarters.
Long distance buses were also kept off the road on Sunday, causing trouble for many people.
The Greater Hill Tracts Bangali Chhatra Parishad president Main Uddin alleged that the police barred them from holding peaceful protests and conducted overnight raids at houses of their leaders. Khagrachari police station officer-in-charge Shahadat Hossain denied the allegations, and said the strike was enforced.
Tension persisted in Khagrachari and Rangamati since May 3 even after the funeral of the six people were held in the meantime.
The PCJSS (MN-Larma) faction political affairs secretary Bivuranjan Chakma accused the UPDF for all the recent killings and demanded ban of the regional political party.
UPDF spokesperson Mikel Chakma denied the allegation and demanded immediate arrest of the attackers.
PCJSS was formed in 1972 and it saw a faction, UPDF, in 1998. The PCJSS in 2010 saw another faction PCJSS (MN Larma), while a group split from UPDF took name as UPDF (Democratic) in November 2017. The main PCJSS is currently led by Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, also known as Shantu Larma. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net