Fresh Blockade of Sajek Road Announced From Thursday as Three-Point Demands Remain Unmet
A fresh blockade of the Sajek tourist road has been announced from Thursday after three-point demands were not implemented. The Sajek Gana Adhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association announced the programme, which will continue until a further announcement.
Sajek Karbari Association president Natun Joy Chakma and Sajek Gana Adhikar Rakkha Committee convenor Babudhan Chakma announced the blockade in a joint statement given to the media on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the blockade will be observed again on the Sajek tourist road from tomorrow, Thursday, 22 October 2026. The leaders called on local residents and all concerned to make the programme a success.
Earlier, at the request of the Baghaihat and Machlong Bazar Durga Puja celebration committees, and out of respect for Sharodiya Durga Puja, the main religious festival of Hindus across the country, the blockade programme had been suspended from 16 October to 21 October.
Before that, when an indefinite road blockade began on 11 October, the Baghaihat Zone and the administration assured that within 48 hours the armed members of the JSS Santu group would be withdrawn and the three-point demands of the people of Sajek would be met. The blockade was then suspended.
The statement alleged that the administration failed to fulfil the demands and broke its conditions and promises. For that reason a blockade was observed again on the Sajek tourist road on 15 October, and now a fresh programme has been announced.
Leaders of the two organisations alleged that JSS armed members are still in their previous positions. They alleged that under company commanders Chinu Marma and Simon Chakma, open armed activity is being carried out in Thalkumbho, Chillatuli Kutir, Noapara, Lambabak and Bhuochhari areas of Machlong in Sajek.
The statement also said more than a hundred ordinary people have been driven from their homes through death threats and intimidation. It alleged that mobile phones used by villagers have been seized.
Ordinary jum farmers are unable to go to work clearing turmeric and broom-flower gardens in their jum fields out of fear, the statement said. As a result, local people's livelihoods are being directly harmed, the leaders said.
The leaders said the programme will continue until the armed JSS members are withdrawn from the named areas, in order to protect local people's safety and lives and property and to stop the armed activity.
Tourists currently visiting Sajek have been requested in the statement to leave Sajek within today. In this tourism-dependent area, the blockade will directly affect travel and local business.
During the blockade, emergency fire service, ambulances and corpse-carrying vehicles, emergency medicine suppliers and newspaper-carrying vehicles, and journalists' vehicles used for news gathering will remain outside the scope of the blockade, the statement said. Attention will now be on whether the administration takes any new step on the three-point demands.
