Section 144 will be lifted in Khagrachhari municipality, Sadar upazila, and Guimara upazila from 6am Sunday, eight days after it was imposed in the wake of unrest sparked by an alleged rape and subsequent road blockade demanding the alleged rapists' arrest.
District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner ABM Iftekharul Islam Khondaker and Guimara Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Irene Akhter issued the withdrawal order around 8:45pm Saturday as the law and order situation gradually returned to normal.
The administration had imposed Section 144 on September 27 afternoon amid escalating tensions after a rape allegation triggered violent protests and clashes.
Earlier on Saturday morning, the Jumma Students’ Community announced the withdrawal of their road blockade through a press release.
The unrest began after a Marma schoolgirl was allegedly raped in Singinala area of Khagrachhari Sadar on the night of September 23. During the protests, clashes broke out in Khagrachhari and Guimara, leaving three people dead and many others injured, while over 100 shops and houses, including those in Ramsu Bazar, were set on fire.