Deputy Minister for Chiitagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Moniswapon Dewan at a meeting with officials here on Saturday expressed his anguish and called upon the administration including the police department to go all out to improve the situation.

He asked the law enforcers to nab criminals irrespective of their party affiliations and assured government backing in their impartial actions.

Minister for Fisheries and Livestock, Abdullah-al- Noman also attended the meeting, held at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner's office.

Moniswapon said crimes are being done by vested quarters in a planned way to defame the government. Only impartial and stern action can check those, he told the officials.

"You must act now to improve law and order. The situation in the CHT is completely different from the rest of the country", he said.

Local leaders of different political parties including Selim Chowdhury of Awami League and Dilip Dey of CPB,, Upazila Nirbahee Officers of all 10 upazila and Officers-in-Charge of all police stations in the district attended the meeting.

At the meeting, Rangamati district Awami League President and former lawmaker Diponkor Talukder said the law and order will not improve unless all unauthorised arms are recovered.

"Thousands of indigenous youths and even some Bangalees possess illegal arms," he said.

Crimes including murder and abduction have increased making people's life and property insecure, he said.

Between July 29 and August 5, five people including an army man were killed and 11 others abducted in separate incidents in the CHT. Another 25 people were injured in clashes during the period.

Of those abducted, one bought his freedom by paying Tk. 50,000 and seven others were freed on condition of ransom payment, sources said.

In the latest incident on Thursday at Kharikata village in Logadu upazila, unidentified assailants gunned down former Union Parishad (UP) member Shucra Chakma, 42, at his residence, allegedly in a sequel to rivalry between two indigenous factions.

On the same day, 10 people, reportedly supporters of United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), were abducted by rivals on gunpoint from a market in Kawkhali upazila for Tk 10 lakh ransom, sources there said.