CNG-run autorickshaws have begun plying Rangamati's streets, 
with shops and malls also reopening

A Correspondent, Rangamait:

The hill district of Rangamati is gradually returning to its normal state, shedding unrest, fear and anxiety.

On Monday morning, CNG-run autorickshaws began operating on the city’s roads, with shops and shopping malls also reopening.

The situation started to normalize after the withdrawal of Section 144 and an indefinite transport strike the previous day.

Although buses were running on the Rangamati-Chittagong and Rangamati-Bandarban routes, no buses left Rangamati for Khagrachhari.

As the day progressed, the amount of public transport on the roads increased.

Md Yousuf, the assistant general secretary of the Rangamati-Chittagong Bus and Minibus Workers Union, said: “Since the strike has been withdrawn, we resumed operating vehicles from this morning.”

Although the fear had yet to completely subside, locals said they believed that Rangamati would gradually return to its previous state of normalcy.

Meanwhile, a 72-hour blockade by protesters under the banner of Jummo Chhatra-Janata Parishad following violence in Rangamati and Khagrachhari was underway.

Due to the blockade, more than 800 tourists were stranded in Sajek. The Baghaichari upazila administration said the tourists would be brought back once the blockade ended.

Moinuddin Selim, president of the Rangamati Launch Owners Association, said due to the blockade in six upazilas along the Kaptai Lake waterways, launch services were currently suspended.

The lynching of a man suspected of theft in Khagrachhari’s Dighinala upazila on September 18 sparked clashes in the district.

The violence resulted in the deaths of three people, left dozens injured, and led to the destruction of numerous houses and shops.

To prevent further escalation, the district administrations of Rangamati and Khagrachhari imposed Section 144, banning public gatherings, on September 20.