Sajek tourist road blockade to resume Thursday; visitors urged to leave immediately

The Sajek Gana Odhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association have announced that they will resume a blockade of the Sajek tourist road on Thursday, October 22, accusing the administration of failing to fulfil their three-point demands, including the removal of armed members of a faction of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS).

Natun Joy Chakma, president of the Sajek Karbari Association, and Babudhan Chakma, convener of the Sajek Gan Odhikar Rakkha Committee, announced the decision in a joint statement to the media on Wednesday.

The blockade will continue until further notice, they said, urging tourists currently visiting Sajek to leave the area by today (Wednesday).

The two organisations had suspended the blockade from October 16 to 21 at the request of the Durga Puja celebration committees of Baghaichhari and Machalong markets, in consideration of Sharadiya Durga Puja, the principal religious festival of the Hindu community.

Earlier, an indefinite blockade launched on October 11 was suspended after the deputy commander of the Baghaichhari Zone, Mohammad Salman, and the administration assured the protesters that their three-point demands would be met within 48 hours. The demands included removing armed members of the Santu faction of the JSS from the area.

However, the administration failed to fulfil the demands, prompting the organisations to resume the blockade on October 15, according to their statement.

The leaders alleged that JSS armed members remained at their previous positions and were continuing armed activities in Thalkumbho, Chillyatuli Kuti, Noapara, Lambabak and Bhuyochhari areas of Machalong in Sajek.

They accused the group's company commanders, Chinu Marma and Simon Chakma, of leading the activities and alleged that more than 100 people had been forced to leave their homes after receiving death threats and facing intimidation.

The armed members had also seized mobile phones from villagers, the statement alleged, adding that ordinary jhum cultivators were afraid to visit their fields to tend turmeric and broom grass plantations.

The leaders further accused the army of conducting operations merely for show without taking action against the armed members. They also alleged that people protesting against abuses by the JSS members were being harassed under the pretext of military operations.

The two organisations said they would continue their programme until the armed members were removed from the area to ensure the safety of residents, protect lives and property, and stop what they described as terrorism and harassment.

Emergency fire service vehicles, ambulances, hearses, vehicles carrying emergency medicine supplies and newspapers, and vehicles used by journalists for news gathering will be exempt from the blockade, the statement said.