Police: Drive underway to arrest killers of Shaktiman, his followers

Law enforcers are conducting drives to arrest the suspects behind the murder of Naniarchar upazila chairman Shaktiman Chakma, and the attack that killed five people on Friday. Abdul Latif, officer-in-charge of Naniarchar police station, said security has been beefed up in the upazila. Additional police and army members have been deployed at different places. The filing of a case is underway, he added. Meanwhile, the two incidents have created panic among locals. Vehicular movement remained suspended on the Rangmati-Khagrachhari road, which is the only route to go to Malahchhari in Khagrachhari from Naniarchar. Five people were killed and eight others injured in a gun attack on a motorcade of the followers of Shaktiman at Betchhari in the upazila on Friday. They came under attack while going to attend the funeral of the slain upazila parishad chairman at his Kukurmara family crematory in Naniarchar upazila of Rangamati. Fifty-five-year old Shaktiman Chakma, also a leader of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (MN Larma faction), was shot dead by unidentified persons in front of the upazila parishad complex on Thursday.