Six members of law enforcement agencies were injured in an attack on a tourist convoy amid a road blockade on the Sajek-Baghaihat road in Rangamati’s Baghaichhari upazila on Thursday morning.
The incident occurred in the Ujobaazar area, prompting the army and police to evacuate the tourists to safety.
Rangamati Superintendent of Police Muhammad Abdur Rakib disclosed the details at a press conference at his office around 2:00pm on Thursday.
He said the Sajek Gano Odhikar Rokkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association had enforced a road blockade from October 11 to 15. The programme was suspended from October 16 to 21 for Durga Puja, with plans to resume it thereafter.
The blockade left 2,933 tourists stranded in Sajek, the SP said.
To ensure their safe return, a convoy of tourist vehicles left Sajek around 9:00am on Thursday under the security escort of the Bangladesh army and police.
When the convoy reached Ujobaazar around 10:00am, law enforcement personnel held talks with the protesters to facilitate the tourists’ safe passage. The protesters then hurled bricks and stones at the security personnel, injuring six members, Abdur Rakib said.
The protesters were subsequently removed from the road, allowing the convoy to proceed.
Based on intelligence reports, authorities later learned that an armed group affiliated with the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) had opened fire targeting the tourist convoy, the SP said.
Law enforcement personnel returned fire to protect the tourists and safeguard public property, he added.
Intermittent exchanges of gunfire between the armed group and law enforcement personnel continued even after the tourists had been moved to safety.
The gunfight lasted from around 11:00am to 1:00pm, after which the situation came under control, Abdur Rakib said.
Md Jasim Uddin, a Mahindra driver on the Sajek route, said they left Sajek around 9:00am under a security escort.
“They were stopped by protesters at Ujobaazar around 10:00am and remained stranded for about 40 minutes. Later, security personnel dispersed the protesters using batons, allowing us to continue,” he said.
He said they reached Khagrachhari around 12:40pm.
Rahul Chakma John, organising secretary of the Sajek Cottage and Resort Owners Association, said around 3,000 tourists had returned from Sajek to Khagrachhari.
On Wednesday, Sajek Karbari Association President Natun Joy Chakma and Sajek Gano Odhikar Rokkha Committee Convener Babudhan Chakma announced in a joint statement that an indefinite road blockade would resume from Thursday.
The organisations alleged that armed members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana-Samhati Samiti (JSS-Santu Larma) were active in different parts of Sajek.
They also alleged that the armed members had threatened and intimidated local residents, forced some people to leave their homes and seized mobile phones from villagers.
As a result, ordinary Jum farmers were unable to tend to their gardens, the organisations claimed.
They said the blockade would continue until the alleged armed members were removed from the area and measures were taken to ensure the safety and security of local residents.
Natun Joy Chakma said talks were underway with law enforcement agencies but they would not withdraw the blockade unless their three demands were addressed.
He said the blockade had been suspended from October 16 to 21 in observance of Durga Puja.
However, he alleged that the administration did not hold any discussions with them during that period.
He said tourists staying in Sajek had also been given sufficient time to leave, prompting them to resume the blockade as announced.
The indefinite blockade on the Sajek Road was initially launched on October 11 and suspended from October 16 to 21 for Durga Puja.
With the blockade resuming on Thursday, concerns have resurfaced over tourist movement and security in Sajek.
According to local accounts, while the Bangladesh Army was escorting around 3,000 stranded tourists to safety, armed members of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), along with women participating in the blockade, allegedly hurled bricks and stones at the tourists in the Gongaram Bazar area of Sajek.
The incident occurred as the tourists were being escorted out of the area amid the ongoing blockade.
