Fresh blockade on Sajek road on the very day of relaxation, locals face food crisis

After 10 consecutive days of blockade on the Sajek road, the Sajek Ganadhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association relaxed their programme for 12 hours on Sunday (November 1). But a fresh blockade called the same day by another organisation on the same road meant road communication with Sajek did not return to normal. Traffic on the Sajek road remains effectively closed even on the day of relaxation, and locals fear the crisis of food and daily essentials in Sajek will deepen further.

The relaxation ran from 6am to 6pm on Sunday, at the end of the third phase of the 10-day blockade called by the two organisations. Babudhan Chakma, convener of the two organisations, said the decision was taken considering the ongoing crisis of food and daily necessities in Sajek. He said, however, that the blockade programme would resume from November 2 until the demands are met.

Meanwhile, because of the 12-hour blockade called the same day by the Parbatya Chattagram Rakkha Committee, no vehicle left Dighinala in Khagrachhari for Sajek. Mahindra and jeep drivers kept traffic stopped and took position on the road. As a result, road communication with Sajek did not normalise despite the relaxation decision.

In a statement issued in the name of Bindu Lal Chakma, member-secretary of the Parbatya Chattagram Rakkha Committee, the organisation said the day-long blockade from 6am to 6pm on Sunday was called in protest against violent terrorist activities in Sajek, an armed drill at Bhaibonchhara Government Primary School, and an attack in which tourists were held hostage.

Md. Abdus Quddus, an employee of a restaurant in Sajek, said: 'The one-day relaxation at least gave us some hope. But today, because of another organisation's blockade, no vehicle came to Sajek.'

He said: 'A crisis of daily necessities has appeared here, because everything has to be brought in from outside. We are passing our days eating locally produced banana stem and vegetables. For lack of edible oil, we have to eat even those boiled. And since there are no tourists in Sajek, locals are not bringing their produce to the market either.'

The two blockading organisations, the Sajek Ganadhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association, are known as shadow organisations of the UPDF. They allege that members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti, led by Santu Larma, have taken up armed positions in various villages of Sajek, leaving villagers in panic.

The two organisations say they are continuing the blockade to demand the removal of the armed group from the villages in order to avoid a possible clash.

Amid this situation, on October 26, the two Members of Parliament from Rangamati and Khagrachhari and officials of the district administration and police administration met the leaders of the two organisations at Ujobazar in Sajek. The meeting reached agreement on four of five demands, but produced no immediate decision on removing the armed group.

The ongoing crisis in Sajek has therefore not ended. Under Babudhan Chakma's announcement, the blockade will resume tomorrow if the demands are not met; meanwhile, when the suffering of Sajek residents amid the food and essentials crisis will end remains uncertain.