An “indefinite” road blockade is underway in Khagrachhari in protest of the rape of a Marma schoolgirl. The blockade has halted all vehicular movement as protesters placed barricades at different points across the district.
No untoward incident has been reported so far on Sunday, but a tense situation prevails in the area.
Authorities had imposed Section 144 in Khagrachhari municipality, Sadar upazila, and Guimara on Saturday afternoon, following half-day and daylong blockades on Friday and Saturday that had caused the situation to deteriorate.
Despite the blockade, several people were reportedly injured in clashes between hill and local residents in the district town on Saturday evening.
The indefinite blockade was later called by “Pahari Chhatra-Janata” in response to the violence.
While picketers were visible on the roads on Saturday, they were not seen on Sunday till the filing of this report.
Security measures have been reinforced in the district headquarters and surrounding areas. Alongside army patrols, seven platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed.
Photo: Collected
Deputy Commissioner ABM Iftekharul Islam Khandakar said the situation in Khagrachhari remains tense following Saturday’s violence. “People are afraid to step out of their homes. This Section 144 order will remain in force until the situation improves,” he said.
Superintendent of Police Mohammad Arefin Jewel, however, said the overall situation is now calm, urging everyone to remain patient.
Meanwhile, the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), led by Jyotirindra Bodhipriya (Santu) Larma, called on both groups to show restraint.
In a statement issued by its information and publicity wing, the party expressed deep concern that such clashes took place “even under Section 144” and urged the administration to ensure communal harmony and stability in the hills.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, an eighth-grade student was gang-raped in Singinala area of the Khagrachhari. The victim’s father filed a case with Khagrachhari Sadar police station against three unidentified persons.
The following morning, police—with the help of the army—arrested suspect Shoyon Shil. Demanding the arrest of the remaining accused, “Jumma students and locals” enforced a dawn-to-dusk blockade on Saturday.
During the protest, trees were felled and burning tyres used to block roads in different areas. An ambulance was vandalised in Alutila, while an auto-rickshaw was damaged in Naran Khaiya.
Although a fresh call for an indefinite blockade was announced on social media Saturday night, it was later withdrawn. However, another announcement soon followed, declaring that the programme would go ahead.
