Brigadier General Hasan Mahmud, Region Commander of the Bangladesh Army, has blamed the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) for the recent violence in Khagrachhari.
At a press briefing held at the Khagrachhari cantonment on Tuesday (September 30), Brig Gen Hasan Mahmud alleged that the UPDF is attempting to instigate communal unrest by exploiting a recent rape incident.
“They are using the incident to provoke communal clashes in front of ordinary hill women and students,” he said. “Armed outsiders are firing with both homemade and automatic weapons during these programs.”
The army commander further stated that attempts to destabilize the Chittagong Hill Tracts and incite communal conflict are part of a wider conspiracy. “We have evidence of this. Despite propaganda and provocations, the Bangladesh Army will do everything necessary to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
Calling on the UPDF to withdraw its blockade for the greater interest of the country, he assured that security measures have been taken so that Hindu devotees can celebrate Durga Puja peacefully.
Meanwhile, the situation in Khagrachhari Sadar and Guimara upazilas remains tense and not fully normalized. The indefinite road blockade, enforced under the banner of “Jumma Chhatra-Jonota,” entered its fourth day on Tuesday. Although on Monday (September 29), the agitators temporarily eased restrictions on the Khagrachhari–Chattogram and Khagrachhari–Dhaka highways, traffic remains almost entirely suspended.
As a result, more than a hundred cargo trucks have been stranded, with transport workers fearing heavy losses. However, no fresh clashes have been reported.
The protests were sparked on September 23 after a schoolgirl was allegedly raped in Khagrachhari Sadar. On September 28, violence broke out in Guimara, leaving three indigenous people dead and many, including an army officer, injured. Several homes, shops, and offices—particularly in Ramsu Bazar—were torched, forcing families to take shelter under the open sky.
According to local administration, most shops in Khagrachhari town, suburbs, and Guimara remain closed, with only a limited number of autorickshaws operating. Army patrols continue across the district, supported by BGB and police deployments. Section 144 remains enforced in Khagrachhari municipality, Sadar upazila, and Guimara upazila.
District Commissioner ABM Iftekharul Islam Khondker said the restrictions would be lifted once the situation stabilizes.
On Monday, six representatives of “Jumma Chhatra-Jonota” met with officials and placed an eight-point demand, including the withdrawal of Section 144. While authorities requested them to lift the blockade, the meeting ended without resolution.
Guimara Police Station OC Enamul Haque Chowdhury confirmed that the bodies of the three indigenous victims were handed over to their families after autopsy and cremated the same night. “Law enforcement agencies are working to restore normalcy,” he said.
