
Khagrachhari district administration imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for an indefinite period to prevent tension and possible clashes between two groups over the alleged rape of a Marma schoolgirl.
A press release was issued with the notice on Saturday afternoon, signed by Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate ABM Iftekharul Islam Khondker, said public gatherings and assemblies in Khagrachhari sadar, upazila and municipality will be banned from 2:00pm until further notice.
The notice stated that "there was a risk of deterioration in law and order and possible harm to life and property. So, the section 144 restriction would remain in place from 2:00 pm until further orders in Khagrachhari municipality and Sadar upazila".
Earlier, the dawn-to-dusk road blockade, organised under the banner of "Jumma Chhatra-Janta," had brought normal life in the hill district to a standstill. Supporters of the blockade have set fire to tyres and felled tree trunks at different points across the district, creating widespread disruption, so thousands of tourists remain stranded in Sajek.
DC ABM Iftekharul Islam Khandker told the media that section 144 would be lifted once the situation becomes normal.
Earlier, a Marma schoolgirl on the evening of September 23 was allegedly gang-raped while returning home from a private school in Singinala.
Her relatives reportedly found her unconscious in a field around 11:00pm and rushed her to safety. The victim’s father filed a case with Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station naming three unknown people as suspects.
Later, a dawn-to-dusk road blockade was imposed in Khagrachhari district in protest against the crime and the oppression of hill women.
Vehicular movement came to a halt and the protesters had been picketing throughout the district.
They also set tires on fire and placed tree branches on the roads to obstruct traffic in different areas in the district town, including Chingiskar, Jiromail, Balpai, and Adam, as well as on the Khagrachhari-Chattogram, Panchhari, Dighinala, and Mahalchhari roads.
The suspension of vehicular movement caused suffering to people, particularly tourists visiting the area.
A spokesperson of ‘Jumma Chhatra Janata’ said, “We have been observing the blockade peacefully. We urged everyone to conclude it peacefully, but some miscreants tried in various ways to discredit this student and people-led blockade.”




