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Sajek road blockade withdrawn for two days after 11 hours
Published : Sunday, 11 October, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Observer Online Report
An indefinite road blockade in Sajek, a popular tourist destination in Rangamati’s Baghaichhari upazila, was withdrawn on Sunday evening following assurances from the administration, allowing stranded tourists to resume their journeys after around 11 hours.
The blockade was lifted around 5:00 PM, according to Sajek Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tofazzal Hossain. He said the protesters had placed several conditions and demanded that these be implemented within the next two days.
The blockade began at 6:00 AM on Sunday at the call of the Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association, disrupting traffic on the Sajek-Dighinala road.
Barricades at several points left tourists and vehicles stranded on both sides of the road.
Tourists usually travel between Khagrachhari and Sajek in two daily groups under army escort. However, only one escort operation was planned on Sunday because of the blockade.
Tourists travelling from Khagrachhari towards Sajek were stopped by protesters near Gangaram Uzobazar in Baghaihat. Meanwhile, tourists leaving Sajek were stranded in Machalong.
Following discussions with the administration and assurances that their demands would be addressed, the protesters withdrew the blockade. Stranded tourists then resumed their journeys with assistance from the army and local administration.
On October 8, the two organisations issued a 48-hour ultimatum at a gathering in Sajek’s Uzobazar area. After their demands remained unmet, Sajek Karbari Association President Natun Joy Chakma and Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee Convener Babudhan Chakma announced the indefinite blockade in a joint statement on Saturday.
The statement alleged that an armed group operating under the name of the Santu faction of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) was threatening and intimidating local residents in Sajek.
The organisations called for ensuring residents’ safety, removing the group from the area and taking legal action against those involved. They also referred to an incident on September 29 in which an eight-year-old girl, Kosmita Tripura, was injured in a shooting in Sajek’s Chailyatali area.
Police and army patrols were intensified during the blockade to maintain order.
Although the blockade has been suspended for two days following assurances from the administration, whether the protesters’ demands will be met within that period remains a key concern.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
