Sajek blockade hits farmers, workers
A seven-day blockade in Sajek, Rangamati, has disrupted transport, created shortages of essential goods and left farmers struggling to sell their produce, while hundreds of drivers and their assistants have been left without income.
No vehicles operated on Sajek Road yesterday as the blockade, which began last Thursday, continued. The disruption has also forced many vehicle owners to worry about repaying loans taken to purchase their vehicles.
The indefinite blockade was called by the Sajek Gana Odhikar Rakkha Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association. It is the third round of protests organised by the two groups.
The Rangamati district administration has temporarily closed the Sajek tourist destination citing security concerns, prompting tourists to leave the area.
Anitya Tripura, a member of Ward 2 of Sajek Union Parishad, said residents were surviving on food stored at home, while essential supplies at five shops in Ruilui Para were running low.
“If the blockade continues for another two or three days, the area could face a food shortage,” he told media.
Jaupeithang Tripura, headman of the 169th Sialdai Mouza and a member of Ward 9 of the union parishad, said most residents of the 22 villages in his ward depended on jum cultivation.
Unable to reach Machalong market, farmers have been struggling to sell bananas, papayas, sugarcane, sweet pumpkins, wax gourds and taro. Some produce is ripening and going to waste, he said.
The blockade has also caused shortages of household essentials, including nappi, dried fish and necessary medicines.
Drivers, vehicle owners face mounting debts The suspension of transport services has left drivers and their assistants struggling to support their families.
Ismail Hossain, a pickup van driver from Tablachhari in Matiranga, Khagrachhari, used to earn Tk1,000–Tk2,000 a day. Responsible for an eight-member family, including his ailing father and grandmother and two younger brothers, he has borrowed Tk5,000 from an acquaintance to cover household expenses after being unable to work for seven consecutive days.
“Now is the tourist season. We used to get work every day, and these few months are when we earn most of our income,” he said. “If this continues, we may not have enough to eat in a few days.”
Pickup assistant Md Shakil Khandaker said he earned Tk600 a day when vehicles operated in Sajek. He used the money to pay rent and support his four-member family but is now relying on loans to get by.
Jeep driver Angojai Mog, who operates a locally used vehicle known as a Chander Gari, said he was considering changing professions because his income had stopped. He added that financial hardship had prevented him from properly celebrating Prabarana Purnima.
Vehicle owners are also struggling to meet loan instalments. Md Munna bought a pickup last year using his savings and an Tk8 lakh loan. He has to pay Tk32,000 in monthly instalments and is worried about how he will manage the payments while the vehicle remains idle.
Ayus Chakma, president of the Khagrachhari Vehicle Owners Association, said the association had 250 registered vehicles, while the Jeep Owners Association had more than 500. Including Mahindra vehicles, Chander Gari jeeps and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, more than 1,500 vehicles operate in Sajek.
The blockade has halted earnings for drivers and assistants and left many owners struggling to repay loans, he said. The transport sector in the district is losing an estimated Tk30 lakh to Tk40 lakh a day, according to Chakma.
