UPDF denies army recovered arms from its members

chtnews.com
News No. 108/2008, June 16, 2008

The United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) has strongly denied the claim that the army personnel recovered arms from its members arrested on 11 June in Longudu, Rangamati.

Talking to the chtnews.com, Sachib Chakma, a central committee member of the UPDF, said "it's a part of a conspiracy to create occasions to launch smearing campaign against our Party" adding that an armed member of the JSS directly assisted the army in arresting them.

"Every year when we observe the anniversary of disappearance of Kalpana Chakma on a national level, the army makes desperate attempts to create its own news to drown out our call to bring Lt. Ferdous, the mastermind of her abduction, to justice. The arrested UPDF members are merely scapegoat of such vicious attempts." he alleged.

He categorically brushed aside the claim that arms had been recovered from the arrested UPDF members.

About the incident, Sachib Chakma said "on the night of 11 June a group of army personnel from Longudu zone surrounded the house of a villager in the village of Kattoli Boradam where the UPDF members were sleeping. Cheol Chakma, an active JSS member in the area, was along with the army during the raid."

He said the soldiers passed the whole night there and made the arrest after dawn.

According to Sachib Chakma, of the arrested, only Soanr Sathi Chakma (30) s/o Purno Chakra Chakma is a full member of the UPDF, while Tukala Chakma (18) s/o Ruidas Chakma and Mithun Dewan (22) s/o Kamini Dewan had come there to apply for party membership