A shutdown is underway in the Chattogram Hill Tracts called by the Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and the Parbatya Nagorik Parishad.
The 48-hour strike of the two organisations of hill districts-based Bangalees began on Monday morning in the districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
The protests are demanding justice for the car Bangalee driver, who was killed with a group of people heading to the funeral of Shaktiman Chakma, a leader of Chittagong Hill Tracts Jana Sanghati Samiti’s (JSS) MN Larma faction.
No long-haul buses or launches left Rangamati due to the strike, but only autorickshaw service has been halted in the town itself.
Additional police forces have been deployed in Rangamati town. There have been no reports of untoward incidents since the morning, said Sub Inspector Abul Kashem of the Rangamati police.
On Thursday, Shaktiman, who was also the chairman of Rangamati’s Naniarchar Upazila, was shot and killed while on his way to work.
The next day five people were shot and killed and eight others injured in an ambush on a car carrying members of the UPDF (Democratic) and Jubo Samiti (MN Larma) to Shaktiman Chakma’s funeral.
United People’s Democratic Front (Ganatantrik) leader Tapan Jyoti Chakma, President of Mahalchhari unit of JSS (MN Larma) Sujan Chakma, JSS (MN Larma) members Tanoy Chakma and Robin Chakma and Sajib, the driver were killed in the attack.
On Apr 16, three Bangalees went missing from Mohalchhari and they are yet to be rescued.
The hill district-based Bangalee’ called the 48-hour shutdown to demand justice for Sajib’s murder, the banning of armed political groups such as the JSS and the UPDF and the release of the three Bangalees.