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Clashes broke out late Saturday afternoon between blockaders and local residents, accompanied by gunfire from unidentified assailants in Khagrachhari.
The incidents hit Khejur Bagan, upazila parishad area, Chengri Square, Mahajanpara, and Narikel Bagan, leaving over 50 people injured, reports Bangla Tribune.
Aranya Bilash and Mountinn Hotels were vandalized, and Bengali-owned shops in Swonirvor Market were looted, marking the end of the Jumma Chhatra Front’s morning-to-evening haral.
To control the situation, the members of the Bangladesh army, police, and seven platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed, said Deputy Commissioner ABM Iftekharul Islam Khondker.
The administration-imposed Section 144 around Khagrachhari Municipality, Sadar Upazila, and Guimara Upazila for an indefinite period. Section 144 in Guimara was issued by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Irene Akhter. The order remains in effect from 2pm Saturday until further notice, with warnings of legal action against violators.
Earlier in the day, hartal supporters set tires and trees on fire and vandalized vehicles, including battery-operated rickshaws. Even ambulances carrying corpses were attacked in the Alutila Rehabilitation area, leaving a driver injured. Around 1pm, chasing broke out between indigenous and Bangali residents near Khagrachhari Government College and Upazila Parishad area, which police later brought under control.
Tourists evacuated
The situation across the district remained tense. The army and police were escorting stranded tourists from Sajek to Khagrachhari via Dighinala upazila. Over 100 tourists have been safely brought under military and BGB protection, with plans to take them to their destinations Saturday night or Sunday morning, said Iftekharul.
Hartal protest context
The hartal, called by the “Jumma Chhatra Janata” from 6am to 6pm, protested the rape of a schoolgirl and demanded punishment for the accused. The strike halted all vehicle movement on the Dhaka–Chittagong–Khagrachhari road and connecting routes.