Intense security measures have been enforced in Khagrachhari and Rangamati region as the two hill districts witnessed an indefinite road blockade. The blockade was declared late Sunday by the “Jumma Chhatra Janata,” in response to the recent violent clash in Khagrachhari, where three indigenous people were killed, and several homes were set on fire.
This violence occurred following allegations of a gang rape of a schoolgirl in the district.
On Monday morning, the streets of Khagrachhari district headquarters were eerily quiet, with all roads devoid of traffic and people. Tension gripped the area as the law enforcement agencies maintained a heightened state of alert at various points. Since Saturday morning, no vehicles have been allowed to move along the Dhaka-Chattogram-Khagrachhari road and other inter-district routes.
Khagrachhari District Commissioner ABM Iftikharul Islam Khandakar and Superintendent of Police Arefin Jewel assured TIMES of Bangladesh that they were taking steps to restore peace and normalcy.
In Rangamati, long-distance bus services have also been suspended, and the main roads have become desolate, though auto-rickshaws are still running sporadically in the district. An official from Dolphin Paribahan, a local bus service, confirmed that all buses were halted, and the counters were closed.
Meanwhile, Bandarban, another hill district, saw almost no impact of this blockade.
The road blockade follows protests by the indigenous community over the rape of a schoolgirl in Khagrachhari’s Singinala area on May 23. The accused, Shoyon Shil, was arrested by police with the military assistance the next day.
With tensions rising, the authorities imposed Section 144 on the Khagrachhari municipality, sadar upazila, and Guimara to curb further violence. However, clashes erupted again on Saturday evening, leading to several injuries. On Sunday afternoon, a fire was set in the Guimara Bazar, destroying several shops and houses. Local residents clashed with law enforcement, and reports confirm that at least three people were killed, while 30 others were injured.
In a statement on Sunday night, the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) clarified that the situation in Khagrachhari, triggered by the rape incident, was part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize the region and incite communal unrest. The ISPR also pointed to the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) as being behind the unrest, blaming the group for exacerbating tensions in the region.
The road blockade, set to continue indefinitely, has led to the temporary suspension of all tourism activities in the affected districts.
