Gunfight between security forces and armed group in Sajek; blockade leaves 2,000 tourists stranded
Rangamati district administration announced the temporary closure of Sajek Valley until further notice and instructed everyone to leave the area safely by 4pm today.
A gunfight between law enforcement personnel and an armed group broke out in Sajek's Ujobaazar area in Rangamati's Baghaichhari upazila around 11:30am today (22 October) and was still ongoing as of 12:30pm, Rangamati Superintendent of Police Muhammad Abdur Rakib said.
He added that further details would be provided following a full assessment of the situation.
The gunfight erupted shortly after law enforcement personnel dispersed protesters enforcing a blockade on the Sajek tourist road, allowing a convoy carrying around 2,000 tourists to leave Ujobaazar.
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The tourists had left Sajek for Khagrachhari around 9am under army and police escort but were stranded in Ujobaazar around 9:30am as protesters occupied the area.
Law enforcement personnel later used batons to disperse the protesters, and the tourist convoy left the area around 11am.
The gunfight began about 30 minutes later, police said.
Mohammad Yasin, a line manager for tourist vehicles in Sajek, told Prothom Alo that tourist vehicles usually leave for Khagrachhari at 10:30am. Due to the blockade, they departed earlier today, carrying around 2,000 tourists under security escort.
Three-point demand behind Sajek blockade
The Sajek Gono-Odhikar Rokkha Committee and Sajek Karbari Association announced an indefinite blockade on the tourist road from today in a joint statement issued yesterday. The organisations had urged tourists to leave Sajek by yesterday.
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 today.
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 the Baghaichari Zone deputy commander, Salman, and the administration assured them that their three-point demand 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 latest 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 local residents 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.
