Hill Voice, 24 September 2019, Tuesday, Rangamati: Recently an armed group of Reformist faction and democratic UPDF with the help of DGFI and army zone has arrived at Laxmichari-Manikchari area under Khagrachari district. Since then, they have been staying at the nearby places of Laxmichari zone and Manikchari upazila headquarters, and conducting extortion and atrocities on local residents and businessmen.
On 24 September 2019 at night around 11:00 pm, without informing to army zone, this armed group of Reformist faction and democratic UPDF led by Janapriya Chakma went to Battali, Kanchanpur and Fatikchari area under Fatikchari upazila in Chittagong district bordering to Laxmichari upazila and Manikchari upazila in Khagrachari district, and conducted indiscriminate searching in many houses targeting to PCJSS members. Early in the morning on 25 September, this armed group moved to Bara Dulu area under Manikchari upazila bordering to Laxmichari upazila in Khagrachari district and Fatikchari upazila under Chittagong district. It is worthy to be mentioned that Bara Dulu and its adjacent areas, among others, are some time controlled by armed group of UPDF who has been staying there for long time.
Moreover, Laxmichari army zone also gathered information through their local sources that this armed group belongs to UPDF. Hence, presuming them as UPDF armed group, on 25 September 2019, at around 5:00 pm, army from Laxmichari by two vehicles rushed to Bara Dulu and its adjacent areas. Soon after arrival of army at Bara Dulu area, firing against each other between army and armed group of Reformist-UPDF democratic has been started and it has lasted for an hour. It is reported that in this gunfight, two army personnel including second-in-command of Laxmichari zone Major Anisur Rahman have been injured and commander of Reformist-UPDF (democratic) armed group named Janapriya Chakma has been held by army with serious injuries. It is learnt that he was taken to CMH in Chittagong by the army for treatment.
