A violent standoff erupted Thursday morning in the southeastern hill region of Bangladesh as armed demonstrators clashed with security forces along a remote highway, temporarily trapping nearly 3,000 tourists in one of the country’s most prominent eco-tourism destinations.
Despite an intense exchange of gunfire and localized chaos along the road, security personnel successfully escorted 2,933 stranded visitors out of the area under heavy armed protection toward the nearby district of Khagrachhari, authorities said. No injuries among the tourists were reported.
The altercation unfolded around 11:30 a.m. at Ujo Bazar, a transit point in Sajek Union under Baghaichhari Upazila, following an indefinite transport blockade enforced by local political and indigenous organizations.
A Sudden Escalation
The unrest was triggered on Wednesday afternoon when two regional groups—the Sajek Gano Odhikar Rokkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association—announced a third phase of a road blockade across the region. In a joint statement signed by Natun Joy Chakma, president of the Karbari Association, and Babudhan Chakma, convener of the Gano Odhikar Rokkha Committee, organizers warned that transit would remain shut down indefinitely until their political demands were addressed.
Demonstrators gathered early Thursday to erect physical barricades across the primary access road connecting Sajek Valley to the rest of the country. When security forces arrived around 11:00 a.m. to clear the blockades and clear a path for departing visitors, tensions spilled over.
Initial resistance involving stone-throwing rapidly escalated into a firefight between armed regional elements and law enforcement, scattering motorists and halting all vehicular movement along the corridor.
“We are currently actively engaged on the ground,” Tofazzal Hossain, the officer-in-charge at Sajek Police Station, said in a brief statement. “Further official details will be briefed once the operational status normalizes.”
Emergency Evacuation and Shutdown
Anticipating potential volatility, the Rangamati District Administration had pre-emptively issued an emergency travel directive signed by District Commissioner Najma Ashrafi on Wednesday evening.
Under the decree, public entry into Sajek Valley was suspended indefinitely starting at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, and all remaining tourists were ordered to vacate the resort hub by 4:00 p.m. Thursday.
Following the morning skirmish, military and police personnel secured the highway perimeter, assembled a massive vehicular convoy, and guided all 2,933 stranded visitors safely out of the district.
Economic Strains in the Hills
Perched along the border in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sajek Valley has developed into a lucrative tourism center boasting dozens of modern resorts, cottages, and transport services. However, periodic political volatility and rivalries among local groups have frequently disrupted access.
While essential services—including ambulances, fire service trucks, medical supplies, and accredited media vehicles—were granted exemptions under the blockade, local resort owners express growing concern over the compounding economic impact of repeated closures on the region’s hospitality industry.
