48-Hour Total Blockade Announced for November 4 and 5 Amid Ongoing Sajek Road Blockade

Amid an ongoing indefinite road blockade in Sajek, in Baghaichhari Upazila of Rangamati, the Parbatya Chattogram Rokkha Committee has announced a 48-hour total blockade on November 4 and 5. The programmes and decisions were announced in two separate press releases on Tuesday (3 November).

The committee's release said the 48-hour peaceful and total democratic blockade on November 4 and 5 would be observed to demand the immediate reopening of the Sajek tourist road and an end to armed terrorist activity in the hills. The release was sent by the organisation's member secretary, Bindu Lal Chakma.

The organisation claimed that the blockade announced in a fourth phase on November 2 by the Sajek Gana Adhikar Rokkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association had put the Sajek tourist road, the local tourism industry and ordinary people in hardship.

The release further said produce grown by the local hill population could not be marketed because of the blockade. It claimed the income of traders, vehicle owners and workers, among other groups, had stopped as a result.

It also alleged that ordinary people were facing financial losses because of the blockade and that the government was being deprived of revenue. In this situation, the 48-hour blockade was announced to demand that the Sajek tourist road be reopened and terrorist activity in the hills stopped.

Vehicles in emergency service, ambulances, fire service vehicles, and vehicles carrying medical supplies, media and emergency food will remain exempt from the programme, the Parbatya Chattogram Rokkha Committee said.

Meanwhile, a joint meeting of the Sajek Gana Adhikar Rokkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association decided to newly include transport of agricultural produce and vehicles carrying teachers and students going to schools, colleges and universities in the list of vehicles exempt from the ongoing road blockade.

Sajek Gana Adhikar Rokkha Committee convener Babudhan Chakma and Sajek Karbari Association president Notun Joy Chakma gave this information in a statement sent to the media on Tuesday.

The statement said the decision was taken considering the interests of farmers and agricultural produce traders in Sajek, both hill and Bengali. However, it said the indefinite road blockade would continue until the five-point demands of the people of Sajek are met.