Sajek in Rangamati has remained cut off for 14 consecutive days as a road blockade continued on Wednesday, disrupting the supply of essential goods and leaving people facing an increasingly severe food shortage.
The blockade has also left farmers struggling to transport their produce to markets, while hundreds of drivers and their assistants who depend on tourist transport services are being forced to run their households on borrowed money. Many vehicle owners are also worried about repaying loan instalments.
Adding to the uncertainty, the Sajek Gono Odhikar Rakkha Committee has announced a 48-hour blockade on Wednesday and Thursday in protest against the ongoing blockade in Sajek. The programme was announced in a press release signed by the organisation’s member secretary, Bindu Lal Chakma, on Tuesday evening.
The latest announcement has further stalled efforts to bring the administration and protesters to the negotiating table. Although progress had been made towards resolving four of the five demands, no agreement has been reached on the central point of disagreement. As a result, the indefinite road blockade remains in place.
With another round of blockade underway, Sajek’s tourism, transport, trade and local economy are facing severe disruption. Leaders of the two organisations leading the movement have, however, announced some exemptions for the transport of agricultural produce and vehicles carrying teachers and students.
In a joint statement to the media on Tuesday, Sajek Gono Odhikar Rakkha Committee convener Babudhan Chakma and Sajek Karbari Association President Natun Joy Chakma said the decision had been taken at a joint meeting of the two organisations.
They said vehicles transporting locally produced agricultural goods, as well as those carrying teachers and students to schools, colleges and universities, would be exempted from the blockade.
The exemptions would be added to those already announced for emergency services, including ambulances, electricity supply vehicles, vehicles used for religious and wedding ceremonies, and those carrying journalists.
The decision was taken in consideration of the interests of farmers and agricultural traders from both indigenous and Bengali communities in Sajek, they said. However, the indefinite blockade would continue until all five demands of Sajek residents were met.
The Sajek Gono Odhikar Rakkha Committee and Sajek Karbari Association resumed the blockade on Monday after a one-day relaxation on Sunday. On Tuesday, vehicle movement remained virtually suspended after protesters placed tree trunks and lit fires at several points along the Sajek tourist road.
At a meeting between protesters and a government delegation at Ujopara Bazar on October 26, the two sides reportedly reached an understanding on four of the five demands. However, discussions failed to produce a final decision because of disagreement over the demand to remove armed members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti from Sajek.
Although another round of talks was promised, no effective initiative for a fresh meeting has been reported. Protesters have said the blockade will continue until all their demands are met.
Baghaichari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amena Marjan said no decision had yet been made about holding another meeting. She added that, following instructions from the district administration and in view of security concerns, Sajek Valley tourist destination would remain closed until further notice.
On November 1, protesters had announced a 12-hour relaxation of the blockade to allow residents to collect food and essential supplies. However, a counter-blockade by the Parbatya Chattagram Rakkha Committee and a work stoppage by transport owners and workers prevented normal traffic from resuming that day. Local residents said the relaxation therefore failed to ease public suffering.
Rahul Chakma, organising secretary of the Sajek Resort-Cottage Owners Association, said the tourism-dependent economy had been hit hardest.
With no tourists visiting the area, resorts, cottages, restaurants, transport services, local shops and other tourism-related businesses have become virtually inactive. The blockade has caused estimated financial losses of Tk30-35 crore so far, he said, warning that the losses could rise further if the disruption continues.
Sajek has more than 116 resorts, 14 restaurants and over 100 small and large shops, Rahul said. With tourists staying away for an extended period, business owners, cottage operators and employees are facing severe hardship and losing their investments.
The blockade has also disrupted road links between Sajek, Baghaichari Upazila Headquarters and Khagrachhari. As a result, residents are struggling to obtain essential food items such as rice and lentils and face uncertainty when travelling for emergencies.
Anitya Tripura, a member of Ward 2 of Sajek Union Parishad, said residents had nearly exhausted their household stocks of food and essential goods. Five shops in Ruilui Para had also run out of essential items, he said, warning that the situation could become more serious if the blockade continued.
Jaupeithang Tripura, headman of Shialdai Mouza and a union parishad member, said local jhum farmers and small traders were unable to take their produce to market because tourists were absent and roads remained blocked. This had brought the rural economy to a virtual standstill, while shortages of medicines and other essential goods were also emerging.
Officer-in-Charge of Sajek police station Tofozzal Hossain said large vehicles were not operating on the roads because of the blockade. Only a few auto-rickshaws and motorcycles were moving occasionally. The situation remained calm, and no major untoward incident had been reported so far, he added.
Protesters have reiterated that they will continue the movement until their demands are met.
The latest blockade began on October 22, following calls by the Sajek Gono Odhikar Rakkha Committee and Sajek Karbari Association. It is the third round of blockades called by the two organisations. Citing security concerns, the Rangamati Zila Parishad temporarily closed the Sajek tourist destination, prompting visitors to leave the area.
Tourism activities had first come to a halt after a continuous blockade beginning on October 11. The programme was relaxed from October 16 to 21 for Durga Puja, but vehicle movement was suspended again from October 22. Repeated blockades and temporary relaxations have failed to produce a permanent resolution.
Sajek Union Parishad Chairman Atulal Chakma said that the administration was working to resolve the crisis, but no satisfactory solution had yet been reached.
Khagrachhari Transport Owners Association president Ayus Chakma said the association had 250 registered vehicles, while the Jeep Owners Association had more than 500. In addition, over 1,500 vehicles, including Mahindra vehicles, Chander Gari, and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, operated in Sajek.
The blockade has cut off the income of drivers and their assistants, while owners who bought vehicles with loans are struggling to pay instalments. The transport sector is suffering estimated daily losses of Tk30-40 lakh across the district, he said.