Tourists now can visit Sajek Valley and Khagrachhari as the authorities concerned have lifted month-long tourism restriction on these two popular tourist destinations. The restriction was withdrawn on Tuesday.
“All tourist centres in the district are now open, with Sajek Valley reachable via the Khagrachhari district road,” Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Khagrachhari Md Shahiduzzaman told journalists.
The reopening of Sajek Valley and Khagrachhari is expected to revitalize tourism in the area.
The local administrations had imposed restriction initially imposed on September 25 due to violence in Khagrachhari and Rangamati on September 19 and 20. The restriction was expanded to a complete tourism pause on October 8 across the three hill districts.
The Sajek Cottage Owners Association and Khagrachhari Residential Hotel Owners Association welcomed the reopening of the tourist centres in Sajek Valley and Khagrachhari areas that rely largely on visitors.
This prolonged closure placed immense strain on the local economy, particularly for those in tourism.
According to Sajek Cottage Owners’ Association, there are 116 hotels, resorts, and cottages in Sajek, along with over 14 restaurants.
President of Sajek Resort and Cottage Owners' Association Suparno Dev Barman said that they incurred losses of approximately Tk 8-9 crore over the past month and a half.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rangamati Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Khan said that the advisory on tourism in Rangamati has now been lifted. He assured that there are no security concerns at present.
General secretary of the Khagrachhari Residential Hotel Owners Association Ananta Bikash Tripura welcomed the reopening. “Many people’s lives are tied to the tourism sector here. With the halt in tourist activity, many became unemployed. The reopening brings relief and hope for recovery,” he told media.
The advisory was initially issued following a communal clash that erupted on September 18 after the murder of a young man named Mamun in Khagrachhari.
The unrest spread to Khagrachhari’s Dighinala upazila, and Rangamati town, resulting in four deaths and many injuries.
For the sake of security and peace, the district administration discouraged tourist visits across the three hill districts—Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban—from October 8 to October 31.
However, on October 30, the administration announced that Rangamati would reopen to tourists on November 1 and Khagrachhari on Tuesday.
