Six Army and Police Personnel Injured in Gun Attack on Tourist Convoy in Sajek

Dipto Hannan, from Rangamati

An armed group of the UPDF is accused of firing first at a convoy of tourists returning from the Sajek tourism valley. Six members of the army and police were hurt by flying bricks and stones, said Rangamati Superintendent of Police Mr. Muhammad Abdur Rakib. He said nobody was hurt or killed in the gunfire. He shared this at a press conference at his office in Rangamati yesterday, Thursday.

Mr. Rakib said police and the army moved about three thousand stranded tourists out of Sajek safely under special security. He said legal action will be taken against the armed group involved in the incident. He said a road blockade called by the Sajek Gonoadhikar Raksha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association left about three thousand tourists stranded in the valley.

The Superintendent of Police said the authorities considered the safety of the tourists and arranged to take them back to Khagrachhari Sadar under special security from police and the army. He said the tourist convoy reached the Ujo Bazar area of Sajek, where the blockaders stopped it. The tourists stayed stuck there for about an hour and a half. When security forces tried to move them out safely, the blockaders threw bricks and stones at police and army members, and six of them were hurt.

According to the Superintendent of Police, shots were fired at the vehicles of the tourists and the law enforcers while they worked to control the situation and move the tourists. He alleged that members of the UPDF armed group fired the shots. He said the law enforcers had to fire back to protect the tourists, government property and lives. He added that the firing went on in bursts for about two hours yesterday, from 11 am to 1 pm, but nobody was hurt, and the area is now under the control of the administration.

Third round of indefinite blockade: An indefinite blockade began on the Sajek tourism road yesterday morning, for the third time, over a fight for dominance. The Sajek Gonoadhikar Raksha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association, both known to be controlled by the UPDF, called it. The first round began on the 11th of this month and was paused after the administration gave assurances.

The second round began on the 15th of this month because the demands saw no progress. The two groups began the third round yesterday, Thursday. Their leaders allege that armed members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS Santu) are openly parading in different parts of the area and scaring ordinary people and Jum farmers. They said the movement will continue until full safety of the hill people is ensured and the armed activity stops.

Sajek tourism valley closed: The Rangamati district administration has temporarily closed tourism in the Sajek tourism valley because of the blockade. District Magistrate Ms. Nazma Ashrafi signed an urgent public notice on Wednesday that gave this order. The notice also told tourists staying there to leave Sajek safely by 4 pm yesterday, Thursday.

As per the order, about three thousand tourists left Sajek yesterday morning. The Superintendent of Police said the blockaders blocked them, threw bricks and stones, and the gunfire broke out at Ujo Bazar on the road while the tourists were being moved out. Tourism is closed because of the security situation in Sajek. This has worried both tourists and local tourism businesspeople.

Half day road and waterway blockade called in Rangamati and Khagrachhari tomorrow: The Chhatra Janatar Sangram Parishad, which the UPDF backs, has called a half day road and waterway blockade in the hill districts of Rangamati and Khagrachhari tomorrow, Saturday. It made the call over attacks, baton charges and damage to homes and shops, which it alleges happened against the road blockaders in Sajek. It sent a statement to the media yesterday afternoon to announce the program. It announced this new program while the indefinite blockade of the Sajek road, called by the Sajek Gonoadhikar Raksha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association, is still going on.

The statement said the program is a protest against attacks, baton charges and damage to homes and shops during a peaceful road blockade in Sajek yesterday, Thursday. That blockade demanded the removal of armed members of the Santu group of the JSS from Sajek. The statement also backed the demand of the people of Sajek. As announced, the half day blockade will run on roads and waterways in Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts tomorrow, Saturday, from 5 am to 12 noon.

The president of the Parishad, Mr. Ushatan Chakma, is also the chairman of Fatikchhari Union Parishad in Kawkhali upazila of Rangamati. He asked democratic and progressive groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts to help make the program a success. He also asked vehicle owners’ and workers’ groups of the two districts to cooperate. The statement said ambulances, vehicles carrying patients and dead bodies, fire service vehicles, vehicles carrying emergency medicine, and vehicles carrying journalists will stay free from the blockade.