A lull has descended on Khagrachhari and Rangamati in the wake of the violent clashes between ethnic minorities and Bengalis that resulted in four deaths in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, reports bdnews24.com.
A transportation shutdown is underway in the southeastern districts, while educational institutions were devoid of students and shops remained shuttered.
Forty-six hours after the onset of disturbances, a ban on public gatherings under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was lifted at 11am on Sunday in Rangamati, a day after the order was removed in Khagrachhari.
During the second day of a 72-hour blockade initiated by the group 'Bikkhubda Jumma Chhatra-Janata' in response to attacks, murders, and arson against hill communities, protesters demonstrated by burning tyres on roads in Khagrachhari, Sajek, Panchhari, and Ramgarh.
Consequently, transport links have not only been disrupted between Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Dhaka, and Chattogram, but also within local Upazilas such as Dighinala, Panchhari, and Matiranga.
Khagrachhari Police Superintendent Md Arefin Jewel said the blockade has remained peaceful, adding: "Security has been strengthened to prevent violence. Patrols by the army, BGB, and police have been intensified."
Despite the withdrawal of the Section 144 ban, life in Rangamati town has yet to return to normal after Friday's unrest. The 72-hour blockade by the aggrieved ethnic minority students has been compounded by an ongoing, indefinite strike by transportation workers, further stalling vehicle movement.
This has forced both government and private officials to commute by motorcycle or on foot.
At Banarupa's vegetable market, a few people, compelled by necessity, are shopping, but the lack of public transport has rendered the town eerily quiet.
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