Sajek blockade to continue as talks fail over removal timeline of armed Santu faction

Talks between a government delegation and two Sajek-based organisations ended without agreement at Ujo Bazar in Rangamati’s Baghaichhari upazila yesterday (26 October) over the timeline for removing the armed Santu faction of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS) from the area, with the government seeking three weeks and the protesters demanding removal within five days.

The Sajek Gono Odhikar Rokkha Committee and Sajek Karbari Association said they would continue their indefinite blockade of the Sajek tourist road after the meeting failed to reach an agreement.

The meeting began around 3pm yesterday where the two organisations submitted five demands, including punishment for those involved in an alleged unprovoked attack on peaceful protesters on 22 October; punishment and transfer outside the Chittagong Hill Tracts of two army officers accused of leading the attack; withdrawal of a case against 30 named and 1,000 unnamed accused; and an impartial judicial inquiry, according to a press release.

They also demanded compensation for traders whose shops were damaged or looted, withdrawal of army and police personnel from Ujo Bazar, medical expenses for those allegedly injured by army personnel, and the removal of armed JSS members from Sajek. They called for an end to the group’s alleged violence and extortion, as well as the arrest and harassment of protesters and searches of their homes and businesses.

The residents’ delegation was led by Babudhan Chakma, convener of the Sajek Gono Odhikar Rokkha Committee. The government delegation was led by Wadud Bhuiyan, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs and MP for Khagrachhari.

The government sought three weeks to remove the armed faction’s members. The organisations rejected the proposal, demanding their removal within five days, though they said the deadline could be extended if visible steps were taken.

The organisations alleged that the armed group arrived near Machalong Army Camp on 31 August and had since threatened residents, fired indiscriminately and extorted money from jhum cultivators. They also accused its members of confiscating mobile phones, restricting villagers’ movement and digging bunkers on the grounds of a Buddhist monastery.

Residents began an indefinite blockade on 11 October after repeated appeals to the military administration allegedly failed to secure the group’s removal. They briefly suspended the blockade after the army sought more time, resumed it on 15 October, paused it for Durga Puja and restarted it on 22 October.