Protesters have announced a third round of blockade on the Sajek tourist road in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati, starting Thursday for an indefinite period.
They have urged all tourists to leave Sajek by Wednesday.
The decision was announced in a press release issued this afternoon and signed by Sajek Karbari Association President Natun Joy Chakma and Sajek Committee for the Protection of Public Rights Convener Babudhan Chakma.
The statement said the blockade, which had been suspended from last Friday until Wednesday at the request of the Durga Puja celebration committees of Baghaihat and Machalong markets, was being resumed after the festival because their demands had not been met.
“In the interest of overall security, we request all tourists to leave Sajek by today,” the statement said.
Earlier, activists of the Sajek Committee for the Protection of Public Rights and the Sajek Karbari Association began a second round of an indefinite blockade on the Sajek tourist road at 6am on 15 October. They staged protests by setting tyres and tree trunks on fire at various points along the road.
Blockades were imposed at several locations, including Area 10 in Baghaihat, Gangaram Bridge and 14 kilometre in Machalong. Vehicle movement to and from Sajek came to a halt, leaving tourists and local residents stranded.
One of the protesters’ three demands is the withdrawal of armed members of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS-Santu Larma) from Sajek.
They first announced an indefinite blockade on 11 October over the same demand. The programme was suspended for 48 hours that afternoon following assurances from the administration. The leaders of the two organisations subsequently announced a second round of blockade in a joint statement on Wednesday.
The statement alleged that armed JSS members were active in Sajek and threatening and intimidating local residents. The protesters said they had given the administration a deadline to take action against the alleged perpetrators, but decided to resume the blockade after no effective measures were taken.
The JSS has denied the allegations.
Sajib Chakma, the organisation’s publicity secretary, told Prothom Alo that the accusations were intended to divert attention from what he described as longstanding oppression and harassment of ordinary people in Sajek by armed members of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF).
He also claimed that the two organisations had announced the blockade under pressure from the UPDF.
Tourist vehicles were stranded in Sajek last Sunday because of the blockade. The district administration temporarily closed Sajek that evening, citing security concerns. The restriction was lifted on 15 October following the announcement that the blockade had been withdrawn.