Two local organisations representing Bangalee settlers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts have called a 48-hour strike starting Monday morning in Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
The shutdown across the three hill districts is intended to press home their three-point demand, which includes mourning and protests against the killing of Sajib Hossain on the road to the funeral of Upazila Chairman Shaktiman Chakma on Friday.
Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and Parbatya Nagorik Parishad jointly announced the lockdown on Saturday.
The other demands include the rescue of three Bangalees abducted from Mahalchhari, the immediate arrest and punishment of Sajib’s killers, and the banning of political organisations, including Jana Sanghati Samiti and the United People's Democratic Front or UPDF.
As part of the programme, the protesters also plan to raise a black flag to mourn the death of Sajib on Sunday and conduct a protest rally.
Md Salah Uddin, 28, Mohrom Ali, 27, and Bahar Mian, 27, went missing on Apr 16. Salah Uddin and Ali were residents of Matiranga Upazila’s Natunpara village while Bahar is from Adarsha village.
Sajib died alongside four others in a gun attack on a microbus full of mourners on their way to the funeral of Shaktiman Chakma who was murdered in Rangamati on Thursday. Sajib was the driver of the microbus.
After announcing the programme, General Secretary of Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad Shahdat Farazi Sakib said: “People of hill areas have become a hostage to terrorist organisations like Jana Sanghati Samiti and UPDF.”
“The two-day programme has been called to demand a ban on the political engagement of these terrorist organisations.”
