Life Creeps Back in Khagrachhari as Blockade Pauses for Puja

After four tense days of silence, Khagrachhari is slowly finding its rhythm again. The once deserted streets, where only security vehicles rolled under tense watch, saw the cautious return of buses, rickshaws, and everyday life on Wednesday morning.Shops that had shuttered their doors for days opened again, as residents came out to buy essentials. Businessmen exchanged weary smiles with familiar customers, as if relieved to reclaim a fragment of normalcy.The disruption began on Sunday, when the organisation ‘Jumma Chhatra-Janata’ enforced an indefinite road blockade, protesting the alleged rape of a schoolgirl. For four days, Khagrachhari stood still—transport halted, markets paralysed, and tensions spilling into deadly clashes that left at least three people dead and many others injured. Flames gutted shops and homes in Guimara, with Ramsu Bazar among the worst affected.It was not until late Tuesday night that the organisation announced on Facebook that the blockade would be suspended until October ...

• 01 Oct 2025