The district administration has imposed an indefinite ban on gatherings under Section 144 in Khagrachari as protests and road blockades continue, demanding the arrest of those involved in the rape of a schoolgirl.
According to a notification issued by District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner ABM Iftikharul Islam Khondkar, the order took effect from 2:00pm in Sadar upazila and Khagrachari municipality and from 3:00pm in Guimara upazila and will remain in force until further notice.
The notice cited a sharp deterioration in law and order in Khagrachari town and Sadar upazila, warning of risks to public life and property.
Under the order, gatherings of four or more people, rallies, processions, assemblies, loudspeaker use, carrying weapons, and any provocative activities are prohibited. Violators will face legal action.
Meanwhile, Jumma student groups have been enforcing dawn-to-dusk blockades demanding justice in the rape case, disrupting road links between Khagrachari and Dhaka, Chattogram and Rangamati.
Internal roads remain closed as protesters set up barricades by burning tyres and felling trees.
An ambulance was vandalised in Alutila during the protests, while road communications with nine upazilas, including Dighinala, Panchhari, Ramgarh and Mahalchhari, remain suspended.
Clashes broke out Saturday afternoon between hill and Bengali residents in Sadar upazila, leaving several injured and triggering chaotic chases. Security has since been tightened.
The incident that sparked the unrest occurred on the night of Sept 23, when an eighth-grade student was gang-raped by three Bengali youths while returning home from private tuition in Singinala, Ward-1 of Khagrachari town.
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Police have arrested one accused, Shoyon Sheel, 19, while two others remain absconding.
Jumma student groups earlier staged demonstrations on Sept 24 and enforced a half-day blockade on Sept 25.
The ongoing blockade has left nearly 2,000 tourists stranded in Sajek and over 1,000 in Rangamati town.