Panchari, Thursday, April 3, 2025
The United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) has strongly condemned the kidnapping of UPDF vice-president Nutan Kumar Chakma’s brother and UPDF member Junan Chakma’s father by armed terrorists belonging to the JSS Santu Group in Panchhari, Khagrachari.
UPDF Khagrachari District Organizer Aongay Marma in a statement issued to the media today, April 03, 2025, condemned the kidnappings.
Narrating the two incidents of kidnapping committed by the Santu Group today and yesterday, Aongay Marma said, “Today at 7 am, a group of 20-25 armed terrorists belonging to the Santu Larma faction of the Jana Samhati Samiti raided Dhudhukchhara bazar in Panchhari and kidnapped Uttam Kumar Chakma (55), younger brother of UPDF leader Natun Kumar Chakma, from his shop.
“Earlier, yesterday (Wednesday) morning, the same terrorists had kidnapped Lakshmi Chakma (60), the father of UPDF member Junan Chakma, from Uttar Dhudhukchhara village. In addition, the terrorists threatened to kill the family members of UPDF member Tapan Chakma.”
Angya Marma further said in the statement that the armed terrorists of the Santu Group are showing desperation on the eve of Bai-Sa-Bi, the traditional secular festival of the indigenous Jumma people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
“They are now attacking the families and relatives of UPDF leaders and activists”, he said adding that this could not be allowed to continue. “The people must immediately stand up to the terrorists of the Santu group.”
Expressing indignation over the inaction of the government, the UPDF leader said that although the armed terrorists of the Santu group have long been using the border areas with India to carry out terrorist activities in Panchari including murder, kidnapping and extortion, the local administration is not taking any action against them.
Moreover, a vested interest group of the government is providing support to the Santu group terrorists, he added.
The UPDF leader called on the administration to immediately rescue the abductees and take legal action against the Santu group terrorists for their involvement in the kidnapping of the two men.
In the same way he called on the Santu group to stop such inhuman activities as murder and kidnapping.
