Unidentified criminals shot dead an UPDF member in Joutho Khamar-1 area of the district's Dighinala upazila yesterday morning.

The dead, Sain Chakma, was a resident of Rus Moni Karbaripara in the same upazila.

The United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) claimed that UPDF (democratic) was behind the killing of the 23-year-old.

With the latest murder, five UPDF members have been killed allegedly by activists of its rival UPDF (democratic) in the last three months.

Md Shamsuddin Bhuiyan, officer in-charge of Dighinala Police Station, said police went to Joutho Khamar-1 area on information that a body was found lying there.

Law enforcers took the body to the police station where the victim's relatives identified the dead as Sain Chakma.

The body was sent to Khagrachhari District Sadar Hospital for an autopsy.

Kalo Priyo Chakma, organiser of Dighinala UPDF, in a statement yesterday said, “Sain Chakma was a member of his organisation. Criminals backed by UDPF [democratic] shot him dead on the spot.”

Three more UPDF men were injured in the attack, he added.

The UPDF (democratic) was formed on November 15 last year. Most of its members were expelled from UPDF at different times.

On February 17, another UPDF activist Dilip Chakma was shot dead in Harinath Para of Khagrachhari.

On December 2 last year, UPDF leader Mithun Chakma, also a former president of Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students Council, was gunned down in the hill district.

Three days later, UPDF leader Anoti Ranjan Chakma was shot dead 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.

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