Four days into the killing of six people in the hill district of Rangamati, a case is yet to be started either by the victims’ families or the police.
On Thursday, Naniarchar Upazila Chairman Shaktiman Chakma was shot dead. Unidentified assailants gunned down the Jana Samhati Samiti (MN Larma faction) leader as he was about to enter the Upazila council offices.
The next day, five people were shot and killed and eight others injured in an ambush on a car carrying members of the United People’s Democratic Front (Ganatantrik) and Jubo Samiti (MN Larma) to Shaktiman’s funeral.
UPDF (Ganatantrik) leader Tapan Jyoti Chakma, President of Mahalchhari unit of JSS (MN Larma) Sujan Chakma, JSS (MN Larma) members Tanoy Chakma and Robin Chakma and Sajib, the driver were killed in the attack.
The police, who are yet to make any arrest, say their raids continue to nab the perpetrators, even after no cases have been started.
The UPDF (Ganatantrik), a breakaway faction of the UPDF, and JSS (MN Larma) say they have launched their own investigations and have obtained information on the people involved in the assassinations.
The JSS (MN Larma) has blamed the killings on UPDF, which has denied the allegations.
“We will definitely start a case over such a major incident after discussing it in the party forum. We are also waiting for the recovery of Shaktiman’s aide,” said Prashant Chakma, an assistant secretary of the JSS’ MN Larma faction.
Shaktiman’s aide, Rupam Chakma is being treated with gunshot injuries sustained in Thursday’s attack.
The UDPF (Ganatantrik) said they too were also preparing for legal actions. “The process is on. We can’t understand why the police have failed to arrest anyone,” said its spokesperson Liton Chakma.
Usually the victims’ families start the cases, says Rangamati Superintendent of Police Alamgir Kabir. “We have asked Shaktiman Chakma’s family (to file a case).”
Responding to a query, he said that a manhunt for the perpetrators were on, but did not disclose details “for the sake of the investigation.”