The four-day roads and waterways blockade jointly called by Parbattya Bangali Chhatra Parishad (PBCP) and Parbatya Nagorik Parishad, has begun on Saturday morning.
The blockade has been called in protest against the visit of the CHT commission to Ram Jadi temple.
According to the locals, the leaders and activists of the organisations took position in Sualock and Bus station areas of the district in the morning.
Thousands of people suffered immensely as no long distance or inter-district buses, trucks, lorries and covered-vans were seen on the roads during the strike, said witnesses.
Intiaz Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Bandarban sadar police station, told the Dhaka Tribune: “The police are trying to bring the situation under control. We have deployed additional forces in different points of the district. But the situation cannot be brought under full control as our patrol team failed to reach some remote areas.”
The CHT Commission is expected to visit the Ram Jadi temple in Bandarban in between July 5 and 8.
The leaders of the organisations announced the blockade at a press conference on Thursday.
Terming the commission controversial and biased, they also declared the CHT Commission unwanted in the hill district and vowed to prevent the commission from visiting the district.