The Rangamati district administration has temporarily closed Sajek Valley, a popular tourist destination, from 6pm on Sunday until further notice, citing security concerns.
The decision was announced in an emergency notice signed by Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Najma Ashrafi on Sunday evening.
The notice asked tourists currently staying in Sajek, under Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati, to leave the area by 5pm on Tuesday, and return safely to their respective destinations.
The closure will remain in effect until further notice due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, the notice said.
The deputy commissioner said the decision was taken with tourists' overall safety in mind. Sajek Valley will reopen once the situation returns to normal, she added.
According to the district administration and local sources, a convoy of tourist vehicles was stranded on the road for around three hours on Sunday amid protests by two local organisations in Sajek.
The vehicles were able to reach their destinations after protesters withdrew following discussions with police and army personnel.
At around 2:30pm on Sunday, a convoy leaving Sajek became stranded at Ujobaazar, while vehicles heading towards Sajek from Khagrachhari town were held up at Machalong Bazar.
Protesters blocked roads at both locations. They withdrew at around 5:30pm, allowing traffic to resume.
On Saturday, the Sajek Karbari Association and the Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee announced a blockade in the area, which began at 6am on Sunday.
The protesters blocked the main road connecting Sajek Valley to other areas. They placed tree trunks across the road and set tyres on fire at several points in support of the program, disrupting traffic.
The two organisations alleged that the regional political group JSS (Santu Larma) had begun armed activities in the area and was threatening and intimidating local residents.
They said they had held a rally last Thursday and set a deadline for action against the alleged activities. As no action was taken, they called the road blockade, according to the organisations.
