Tourism-linked business owners in Khagrachhari staged a protest march and rally on Friday afternoon demanding that the Sajek tourism centre in Rangamati district be reopened within 48 hours, bdnews24.com reports.
The procession started in front of the government college gate in the Khagrachhari district town, moved through several streets and ended at Shapla Chattar, where a short gathering was held.
Why it matters
Sajek is one of the country's most visited hill destinations, and the businesses that depend on it say the closure has cut off their income. Speakers at the rally described tourism as the main engine of the local economy and warned that workers lose their jobs when the flow of visitors stops.
According to bdnews24.com, the rally was told that repeated blockade programmes are causing wide losses, and that the tourism centre needs to reopen without delay.
Business owners point to a dispute between regional groups
Ayus Chakma, president of a vehicle owners' association, said at the gathering that tourism drives the local economy and that many labourers are left without work when it shuts down. He said businesses are being hit hard by blockades called every few days and called for Sajek to be opened quickly.
Ujjal Dey, a member of the E-Tourism Association Bangladesh (e-TAB), was more direct. He said an organisation called the Sajek Traders' Association — which he described as existing in name only — had issued a press release calling the blockade, and that ordinary business people were paying the price for a rivalry between two regional organisations.
Dey said investors in tourism are facing losses because of protest programmes held at short intervals, and that tourists are frightened by the dispute between the regional groups. He described Sajek as the country's second most popular tourist destination and said it should be reopened immediately. He also warned that a larger movement would be announced if the blockade is not withdrawn soon.
Also speaking were Asadullah, general secretary of the Parbatya Chattagram Sama Adhikar Andolan; Jasim Uddin, general secretary of a CNG auto-rickshaw owners' association; and transport workers' leader Md Masum. According to bdnews24.com, they said the tourism industry is suffering because the Sajek tourism centre was shut amid a contest for dominance between two regional organisations.
Second day of road blockade passes without incident
The road blockade at Sajek, backed by two organisations supported by the regional group UPDF, continued for a second day on Friday under a three-point demand. bdnews24.com reports that no untoward incident occurred on the second day, and that no marches or picketing in support of the blockade were seen from the morning.
The Sajek Traders' Association and the Ganadhikar Raksha Committee have been observing the road blockade since 22 October with three demands, including the removal of members of the Jono Sanghati Samiti. Law enforcement agencies are working to keep the situation normal, according to the report.
What to watch
Whether the blockade is lifted and the tourism centre reopens within the 48-hour window the business owners have set — and whether their threat of a larger protest materialises if it does not.
