Sajek in Rangamati has remained under a blockade for 14 consecutive days, disrupting road communication, triggering shortages of essential commodities and bringing tourism-related businesses to a standstill.
No vehicles operated on the Sajek road on Wednesday, leaving residents struggling to access food and other daily necessities. Farmers are also unable to transport their produce to markets, putting their livelihoods at risk.
Hundreds of drivers and their assistants who depend on transporting tourists have lost their income. Many are borrowing money to support their families, while vehicle owners who purchased vehicles with loans are struggling to repay instalments.
Meanwhile, the Parbatya Chattagram Rakkha Committee has announced a separate 48-hour blockade for November 4 and 5, protesting the ongoing blockade in Sajek. The program was announced in a press release signed by the organization's member secretary, Bindu Lal Chakma, on Tuesday evening.
The move has further complicated efforts to resolve the crisis through dialogue between the administration and protesters.
Although progress was made on four of the five demands raised by the protesters, no agreement has been reached on the main point of contention. At a meeting between protesters and a government delegation in Ujobaazar on October 26, the two sides reached an understanding on four demands. However, disagreements over the demand to remove armed JSS members from Sajek prevented a final agreement.
The Sajek Gono Odhikar Rakkha Committee and Sajek Karbari Association resumed the blockade on Monday, November 2, after a one-day relaxation on November 1. On Tuesday, protesters placed tree trunks and lit fires at several points along the Sajek tourist road, effectively halting traffic.
However, leaders of the two organizations have announced exemptions for vehicles carrying locally produced agricultural goods, teachers, and students.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, Sajek Gono Odhikar Rakkha Committee convener Babudhan Chakma and Sajek Karbari Association president Natun Joy Chakma said the decision was taken at a joint meeting of the organizations.
Vehicles carrying agricultural produce and transporting teachers and students to educational institutions will be exempt from the blockade. Earlier exemptions for ambulances, electricity supply vehicles, vehicles used for religious and wedding ceremonies, and journalists' vehicles will also remain in place.
The leaders said the decision was taken considering the interests of farmers and agricultural traders from both the Pahari and Bengali communities. However, they reiterated that the blockade would continue until all five demands were met.
Baghaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amena Marjan said no decision had been made on holding another meeting. She added that Sajek Valley would remain closed until further notice on the instructions of the district administration due to security concerns.
On November 1, protesters announced a 12-hour relaxation to allow residents to collect food and other essential supplies. However, a counter-blockade by the Parbatya Chattagram Rakkha Committee and a work abstention by transport owners and workers prevented normal traffic from resuming.
Rahul Chakma, organizing secretary of the Sajek Resort-Cottage Owners Association, said the tourism-dependent economy had been hit hardest by the crisis.
With no tourists, resorts, cottages, restaurants, transport services, local shops and other tourism-related businesses have virtually ground to a halt.
He estimated that the blockade had already caused losses of Tk30-35 crore, warning that the figure could rise further if the disruption continued.
According to him, Sajek has more than 116 resorts, 14 restaurants and over 100 small and large shops. The prolonged absence of tourists has left business owners, cottage operators and employees struggling to make ends meet.
The blockade has also disrupted road communication between Sajek, Baghaichhari upazila headquarters and Khagrachhari, worsening shortages of rice, lentils and other essential commodities.
Anitya Tripura, a member of Ward 2 of Sajek Union Parishad, said residents were running out of food and other essential supplies stored at home. Five shops in Ruilui Para had also run out of daily necessities.
Jaupeithang Tripura, headman of Shialdai Mouza and a union parishad member, said farmers and small traders were unable to take their produce to markets because of the blockade and the absence of tourists. He said the disruption had paralyzed the rural economy, with shortages of medicines and other essential goods also emerging.
Khagrachhari Transport Owners' Association president Ayush Chakma said the association had 250 registered vehicles, while the Jeep Owners' Association had more than 500. In addition, more than 1,500 vehicles, including Mahindra three-wheelers, Chander Gari and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, operate in Sajek.
He said the blockade had cut off the income of drivers and their assistants, while many vehicle owners were struggling to repay loans. The transport sector in the district was suffering estimated daily losses of Tk30-40 lakh, he added.
Sajek police station Officer-in-Charge Tofazzal Hossain said large vehicles were not operating on the road due to the blockade, although a few auto-rickshaws and motorcycles were moving occasionally.
He said the situation remained calm and peaceful, with no major untoward incidents reported so far.
The latest blockade began on October 22, following earlier disruptions. A temporary relaxation was announced from October 16 to 21 for Durga Puja, while tourism activities had already been suspended following a blockade that began on October 11.
Despite repeated blockades and temporary relaxations, no lasting solution has emerged, leaving residents, farmers, businesses and transport workers uncertain about when normal life will resume.