Road blockade in Khagrachhari partially lifted for medical aid after Guimara violence
Highlights
- Jumma Chhatra-Janata suspended road blockades on two highways in Khagrachhari to allow funerals and medical treatment
- On 28 Sept, three people were shot dead and 16 injured in Guimara despite Section 144 being in force
- Among the injured were 13 army members and 3 policemen, according to the home ministry
- Protests began after the alleged gang rape of a Marma schoolgirl in Khagrachhari on 23 Sept
- Section 144 remains in place, security patrols increased, while Marma organisations urged calm and restraint
The Jumma Chhatra-Janata group has announced a partial suspension of road blockades in Khagrachhari today (29 September) to allow medical treatment and funeral arrangements for victims of yesterday's (28 September) deadly clashes in Guimara upazila.
In a post on its official Facebook page this morning, the group said blockades on the Dhaka–Khagrachhari and Chattogram–Khagrachhari highways would remain lifted from noon until further notice, while all other roads in the district would remain blocked.
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The group said the decision was made to facilitate proper burials for those killed and advanced treatment for the wounded.
A medical team from Dhaka is expected to arrive, and the group urged all parties not to obstruct their movement.
Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner ABM Iftekharul Islam Khandakar told The Business Standard that the situation was under control, with officials working with all sides to restore calm.
The announcement came a day after three people were killed and more than 16 were injured during clashes in Guimara yesterday, despite Section 144 being in force.
Among the injured were 13 army personnel and three policemen, according to a statement from the home ministry.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Chattogram Range) Ahsan Habib Palash told TBS yesterday evening, "We have confirmed three deaths by gunfire, but details of who opened fire or how it happened are still unclear."
The Civil Surgeon's office confirmed autopsies were scheduled for today.
The unrest began on Wednesday (24 September), when Jumma Chhatra-Janata called for the punishment of those allegedly involved in the gang rape of a Marma schoolgirl in the Singinala area of Khagrachhari Sadar on Tuesday (23 September).
According to her father, the girl went missing while returning from private tuition and was later found unconscious in a field around 11pm. She was admitted to Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital.
Police said a suspect, Shayan Sheel, was arrested with the help of the army and placed on a five-day remand. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the other suspects.
In demand for their arrest, Jumma Chhatra-Janata called a second day-long road blockade on Saturday (27 September).
Clashes erupted during the blockade between protesters and counter-protesters, leaving around 25 injured.
Law enforcement intervened by firing blank shots and using tear gas to disperse the groups.
Later that day, the district administration imposed Section 144 indefinitely in Sadar and Guimara upazilas, citing a "severe deterioration of law and order and the risk of harm to lives and property."
Despite the ban, protests continued. Yesterday, protesters reportedly set fire to Ramesu Bazar in Guimara, burning several shops and damaging nearby homes.
Witnesses also reported gunfire during clashes with security forces earlier in the day.
Law enforcement agencies have since stepped up patrols across the tense hill district.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Marma Oikya Parishad and Bangladesh Marma Unnayan Sangsad issued a joint statement urging calm and calling on ordinary Marma residents to distance themselves from the unrest.
The groups alleged that vested interests were using the Jumma Students' banner to destabilise the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
