Sajek Correspondent, CHT News
Thursday, October 22, 2026
The Bangladesh Army attacked protesters enforcing the third phase of a road blockade called by the Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association on the Sajek tourist road in Rangamati. The soldiers reportedly carried out a heavy baton charge and fired blank shots, creating panic among the protesters.
The incident took place at around 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026, in the Ujobaazar area of Sajek under Baghaichari Upazila, Rangamati.
According to reports, residents of Sajek began enforcing the blockade at 6:00 a.m. in response to the call by the two organizations. They lit fires on the road and later gathered at Ujobaazar, where they sat on the road to block traffic. As a result, all vehicular movement came to a halt.
Meanwhile, Army personnel and police arrived at the scene and attempted to evacuate tourists stranded in Sajek Valley. When the protesters refused to clear the road, the Army attacked them. The soldiers reportedly carried out a baton charge and fired blank shots to create panic and disperse the crowd. Several people are believed to have been injured.
There are also allegations that soldiers fired at people as they fled the scene.
On October 11, during an earlier blockade, the local military and civil administration reportedly agreed to the three demands or conditions raised by the two organizations and the residents of Sajek. Following the agreement, the protesters suspended the blockade for 48 hours.
However, as the conditions remained unfulfilled, they resumed the blockade on October 15. The blockade was subsequently suspended from October 16 to 21 due to the Sharadiya Durga Puja festival.
The three demands or conditions were as follows:
- Armed members of the PCJSS (Santu Larma faction) must be withdrawn from the area within 48 hours.
- PCJSS members must stop issuing death threats to anyone.
- The military administration must stop searching the homes of ordinary, innocent residents and subjecting them to harassment.
As the administration had failed to fulfill these demands or conditions, Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee Convener Babudhan Chakma and Sajek Karbari Association President Natun Joy Chakma issued a joint statement on Wednesday, October 21, announcing the resumption of the road blockade from Thursday, October 22.
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