Army, UPDF exchange gunfire in Sajek

Armed members of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) forced local people to act as human shields, blocked a road and opened fire on tourists and law enforcers in the Gangaram Bazar area of Sajek under Rangamati district on Thursday, said the Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) in a press statement.
The incident halted vehicular movement on the Sajek-Baghaihat road, leaving around 3,000 tourists stranded in Sajek, according to the ISPR.
Under the circumstances, the Bangladesh Army and police jointly took necessary security measures to take the stranded tourists safely to Khagrachhari.
During the evacuation around 10am, the blockaders created obstructions on the road at Gangaram Bazar and stopped the movement of tourist vehicles.
Army and police patrol teams initiated talks with the blockaders to ensure safe passage for the tourists, said the press statement.
While the talks were on, at about 10:45am, the blockaders, instigated by the UPDF, suddenly started hurling brickbats at members of the law enforcement agencies and tourists.
To bring the situation under control, the Army and police dispersed the blockaders with baton charges and resumed the movement of tourist vehicles.
Later, at around 11am, armed UPDF members fired an estimated 30-40 rounds at the security forces and tourists.
The Army patrol team fired back in self-defence and to ensure the safety of the tourists, forcing the armed men to flee the scene.
The stranded tourists were subsequently evacuated safely through the coordinated efforts of the Army and police. No casualties were reported in the incident.
According to the ISPR, the UPDF’s blockade and violence were pre-planned. The allegation that local people were intimidated into joining the blockade and used as human shields is deeply alarming.
A section of armed UPDF members, largely cornered by the ongoing operations of security forces in different areas of the Chattogram Hill Tracts, has taken up positions in tourist areas.
Such violent acts disrupt peace, stability and public safety in the Hill Tracts and adversely affect the tourism industry and the livelihoods of local people, the ISPR said.
Endangering tourists and forcibly involving ordinary people in blockade programmes are matters of grave concern.