A half-day blockade disrupted traffic on the Rangamati-Khagrachhari regional road for several hours today (24 October) following a clash between law enforcement personnel and protesters at Sajek Ujjo Bazar in Rangamati's Baghaichhari upazila.
Chhatra Janatar Sangram Parishad called the blockade, which began at 5am and ended at noon.
Protesters blocked roads in Kutukchhari, Sapchhari Khamar Para and Kutukchhari Dharamghar with tree trunks and fires. They also held a procession from Kutukchhari Hat Bazar to Dharmaghar.
Bus services on the Rangamati-Khagrachhari route remained suspended during the blockade. However, vehicles continued to operate on the Rangamati-Chattogram route via Betbunia. Traffic in Rangamati town and boat services to various upazilas remained normal.
Chhatra Janatar Sangram Parishad President Ushatan Chakma said the blockade ended peacefully at noon. He warned that the organisation will announce tougher programmes if Sajek residents' demands are not met.
Rangamati Superintendent of Police Md Abdur Rakib said protesters barricaded several roads, but no untoward incidents occurred.
Blockade continues on Sajek road
Meanwhile, a separate blockade called by Sajek Gono Odhikar Rokkha Committee and Sajek Karbari Association continued for the third consecutive day on Sajek Road. The blockade halted vehicle movement and kept the Sajek tourist centre closed.
Protesters began staging sporadic blockades at 6am yesterday (23 October) at several locations along the Sajek-Baghaichhari road, including the 10 No area, Machalong 14 Kilo and Marishya 11 Kilo.
Committee Member Secretary Bijoy Kanti Chakma said the blockade will continue until their demands are met.
Sajek Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tofazzal Hossain confirmed that vehicle movement remains suspended.
He said the army and police have intensified patrols.
Earlier on Thursday (22 October), nearly 3,000 tourists stranded in Sajek Valley were evacuated with the help of the army and police amid the indefinite road blockade.
Armed UPDF members allegedly opened fire on tourists and members of law enforcement agencies during the evacuation.
Reasons for Sajek blockade
The Sajek Gono Odhikar Rokkha Committee and Sajek Karbari Association announced an indefinite blockade on the tourist road from Thursday in a joint statement issued a day before.
At the time, citing security concerns, the Rangamati district administration announced the temporary closure of Sajek Valley until further notice and instructed everyone to leave the area safely by 4pm on Thursday.
In the joint statement, signed by leaders Babudhan Chakma and Natun Joy Chakma, the organisations said they first enforced a blockade on 11 October, demanding the removal of armed members of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS), led by Santu Larma, from Sajek.
The blockade was suspended after army Baghaichari zone deputy commander Salman and the administration assured them that demands would be met within 48 hours, according to the statement.
The organisations resumed the blockade on 15 October, alleging that the authorities had failed to fulfil their demands.
They suspended it again from 16 to 21 October at the request of the Durga Puja celebration committees of Baghaichari and Machalong markets.
In their joint statement, the organisations alleged that armed JSS members remained in their previous positions and were active in Thalkumbho, Chillyatuli Kuthi, Noapara, Lambabak and Bhuachhari areas of Machalong under the leadership of company commanders Chinu Marma and Simon Chakma.
The leaders claimed that more than 100 locals had been threatened with death and forced to leave their homes.
They also alleged that villagers' mobile phones had been confiscated and that fear of the armed group had prevented Jum cultivators from tending their turmeric and broom-grass gardens.
The organisations accused the army of conducting what they described as "showpiece operations" without taking action against the armed group. They further alleged that the army was harassing people protesting against the group's alleged abuses under the guise of conducting operations.
They said the blockade would continue until the armed JSS members were removed from the area to ensure residents' safety and protect their lives and property.
Fire service vehicles, ambulances, hearses, vehicles carrying emergency medicines and newspapers, and vehicles used by journalists on reporting assignments were exempt from the blockade, the statement said.