Protesters have announced a third round of blockade on the Sajek tourist road in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati, set to begin Thursday for an indefinite period. In light of the upcoming shutdown, authorities and organizers have strongly urged all tourists currently visiting Sajek to leave the area by Wednesday.
The decision was officially announced in a press release issued this afternoon, jointly signed by Sajek Karbari Association President Natun Joy Chakma and Sajek Committee for the Protection of Public Rights Convener Babudhan Chakma.
The statement explained that the previous blockade—which had been temporarily suspended from last Friday until Wednesday following an appeal by the Durga Puja celebration committees of Baghaihat and Machalong markets—is now being resumed as core demands remain unaddressed. "In the interest of overall security, we request all tourists to leave Sajek by today," the statement read.
Previously, activists from the Sajek Committee for the Protection of Public Rights and the Sajek Karbari Association launched a second round of indefinite blockades along the Sajek tourist route at 6:00 AM on October 15. The protests involved setting tires and tree trunks ablaze at multiple strategic points along the roadway.
Blockades were erected at several locations, including Area 10 in Baghaihat, the Gangaram Bridge, and the 14-kilometer mark in Machalong. These disruptions brought all vehicular movement to and from Sajek to a complete standstill, leaving numerous tourists and local residents stranded.
Among the protesters' primary grievances is a three-point charter of demands, which prominently includes the immediate withdrawal of armed members of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS-Santu Larma faction) from the Sajek region.
