Unidentified criminals shot dead a “member” of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) in Khagrachhari's Harinath Para area yesterday.

The dead, Dilip Kumar Cahkma alias Binoy, was aged about 42.

Dilip is the fourth UPDF man to have been killed in the Chittagong Hill Tracts area in around the last three months. The newly formed UPDF (Democratic) has been blamed for all the killings.

Alomoy Chakma of Harinath Para said Dilip came under attack a little away from his house around 9:00am.

Quoting villagers, Alomoy said two UPDF members were talking in front of a house in the area. All of a sudden, some unidentified armed youths chased them.

As the two UPDF men started running away, criminals fired shots on them, leaving Dilip dead on the spot.

However, the other UPDF member managed to escape.

Informed by locals, police later recovered the body from the spot.

The UPDF claimed that the newly formed UPDF (Democratic) and Jana Sanghati Samity (MN Larma) was behind the killing. 

Sachib Chakma, chief organiser of Khagrachhari UPDF, in a statement yesterday condemned the killing saying that “Nobyo Mukosh Bahini” and Jana Sanghati Samity (MN Larma) were responsible for the killing.

He said Dilip was an UPDF member.

Son of Santosh Kumar Chakma, the deceased was from Munipur village in Khagrachhari's Panchhari upazila.

The UPDF (Democratic) was formed in November last year. Most of its leaders and activists were former UPDF members who were expelled from the organisation at different times.

The OC of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station said the body was sent to Khagrachhari District Sadar Hospital for an autopsy.

On December 2 last year, UPDF leader Mithun Chakma, also a former president of Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students Council, was shot dead in Khagrachhari.

Three days later, UPDF leader Anoti Ranjan Chakma was gunned down in Rangamati's Naniarchar upazila. 

On December 16, Anol Bikash Chakma alias Pluto Chakma, a leader of Bandukbhanga union UPDF, was shot dead in Rangamati. He was a resident of the district's Kawkhali upazila.

Police were yet to arrest any suspect in connection with the four killings.