Local bodies resume blockade of Sajek road over three-point demand

Two local bodies have announced plans to resume the blockade of Sajek Road in Bandarban, alleging that the administration has failed to meet their three-point demand, which includes the removal of members of an armed group from the area.
In a joint statement sent to the media on Wednesday, Sajek Karbari Association President Notun Joy Chakma and Sajek Gono-Odhikar Rokkha Committee Convener Babudhan Chakma announced the programme, to be continued until further notice. Tourists have been asked to leave Sajek by Wednesday, according to the statement. The two organisations initially launched the indefinite blockade of the Sajek tourist road on 11 October. 
On that day, Baghaihat Zone Deputy Commander Md Salman and the administration assured them that their three-point demands, including the removal of armed members of the Santu Larma faction of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS) from the Sajek area, would be fulfilled within 48 hours.
The blockade was later suspended conditionally, but the organisations resumed it on 15 October, alleging that the commitments had not been fulfilled. The programme was suspended again from 16 October for six days on the occasion of Durga Puja.
According to the protesting organisations, more than 100 ordinary people had been forced to leave their homes after receiving death threats and facing intimidation from the armed group members. They allegedly seized villagers' mobile phones, while jhum cultivators were unable to visit their farmland to clear their turmeric fields and jharuful gardens due to security concerns.