Khagrachari district administration has lifted Section 144 in the Khagrachari municipal area and Sadar Upazila. The decision was announced through a circular issued by District Commissioner ABM Iftakharul Islam Khondkar on Saturday night at 9 pm.
The circular said that, due to the current normalcy in law and order, the ban under Section 144 will be lifted from 6 am on Sunday.
However, the administration has yet to announce any decision regarding the enforcement of Section 144 in the Guimara Upazila.
District Commissioner ABM Iftakharul Islam Khondkar explained that the decision to withdraw Section 144 was made after considering the situation and consulting with relevant stakeholders. The order is effective from Sunday morning in Khagrachari Sadar.
Section 144 had been imposed on September 27 at 2 pm to prevent potential harm to people’s lives and property in Khagrachari Sadar and the municipal area.
Earlier, on Saturday morning, Jumma Chattra Janata, an CHT student alliance, announced the full withdrawal of their blockade. In a press release sent by their media cell, they also presented eight demands.
The imposition of Section 144 followed an incident on September 23 when a young tribal girl was allegedly gang-raped while returning home from private tutoring in Khagrachari. She was found unconscious around 11 pm the same day and was later rescued by her relatives. Police arrested one individual, Shoyon Shil, in connection with the incident.
In response to the incident, the Jumma student group called for a strike in Khagrachari on September 27. Following this, the group extended the blockade to other hill districts.
During the ongoing blockade, Guimara’s Ramesu Bazar became a battleground on September 28, with clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Three individuals were killed in gunfire during the violence.
