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A 12-hour blockade called by a new organisation on Sunday (November 1) has effectively halted traffic on the Sajek road, even as two groups suspended their 10-day blockade for the day, raising concerns over worsening shortages of food and essential commodities in the area.
The Sajek Gonoadhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association announced a 12-hour suspension of their blockade from 6am to 6pm on Sunday after maintaining it for 10 consecutive days in their third phase of protest.
However, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Protection Committee separately called a fresh blockade on the same road for the same period, keeping road communication with Sajek effectively suspended.
Babudhan Chakma, convener of the Sajek Gonoadhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association, said the decision to relax the blockade had been taken considering the ongoing shortages of food and daily necessities in Sajek. He added that the blockade would resume on November 2 unless their demands were met.
Meanwhile, no vehicles left Dighinala in Khagrachhari for Sajek due to the blockade called by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Protection Committee. Mahindra and jeep drivers stopped their services and took positions on the road.
Mohammad Abdus Kuddus, an employee at a restaurant in Sajek, said the temporary suspension had raised hopes among local people, but the fresh blockade prevented vehicles from reaching the area.
“Essential commodities are running short here because everything has to be brought from outside. We are managing with locally produced banana stems and vegetables. Due to a shortage of edible oil, we have to boil them,” he said.
He added that local farmers were also reluctant to bring their produce to the market as there were no tourists in Sajek.
In a statement issued in the name of its member secretary, Bindu Lal Chakma, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Protection Committee said it had called the blockade in protest against alleged violent activities in Sajek, an armed demonstration at Bhaibonchhara Government Primary School and attacks on tourists after holding them hostage.
The Sajek Gonoadhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association, described as two shadow organisations of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), have been enforcing an indefinite blockade on the Sajek road.
The two groups allege that members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, led by Santu Larma, have taken up armed positions in several villages in Sajek, creating fear among residents. They say the blockade is aimed at forcing the armed groups to leave the villages to prevent possible clashes.
On October 26, a meeting was held at Uj Bazar in Sajek involving leaders of the two organisations, two lawmakers from Rangamati and Khagrachhari, and officials from the district administrations and police.
Although the meeting reached an understanding on four of the five demands, no immediate decision was made on removing the armed groups. As a result, the crisis in Sajek remains unresolved.
