Normalcy returning to Khagrachhari

Traffic is returning to normal in Khagrachhari after the road blockade enforced under the banner of Jumma Chhatra Janata was suspended late Tuesday, bringing relief to residents.

Despite the suspension, Section 144, which prohibits public gatherings, remains in effect in Khagrachhari Sadar and Guimara upazilas.

During a visit to Shapla Chattar in Khagrachhari town yesterday, The Daily Star found vehicles moving freely and most shops reopening. Long-distance bus services also resumed around 9:00am. Law enforcers were deployed at key intersections, stopping and questioning "suspicious" individuals.

"I can finally return home today as the blockade has been lifted," said Anil Bikash Chakma at the Panchhari auto-rickshaw stand. He had been stranded in the town after a doctor's visit.

Truck driver Md Zainal Abedin said his family had suffered during the days he was unable to earn due to the blockade. At a bus counter, Anil Dev, travelling with his family to Rangunia, Chattogram for Durga Puja, said, "We had been unable to go home for days. Today [yesterday] we can finally leave."

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At 9:00pm Tuesday, Jumma Chhatra Janata announced on Facebook that the blockade had been suspended following assurances from the district administration and out of respect for Durga Puja. The organisation said the suspension will remain in effect until October 5 but warned of tougher programmes if its eight-point demands are not met.

Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner ABM Iftekharul Islam Khandker told The Daily Star that Section 144 would be withdrawn only if law enforcers deem the situation fully stable.

Protests erupted after a teenager was allegedly raped while returning home from private tutoring on September 23. Her relatives found her unconscious in a field around 11:00pm. Police later arrested one suspect, Shayan Sheel, while the victim's father filed a complaint against three unidentified men.

Anger over the incident sparked widespread protests under the banner of Jumma Chhatra Janata. The next day, the group called a blockade across the three hill districts.

Violence escalated on Sunday at Ramesu Bazar in Guimara upazila, where clashes between protesters, law enforcers, and locals siding with security forces turned deadly.