Activists block Ctg highways after Hifazat leader's death in road crash

The protests halted traffic on highways linking Chattogram with the hill districts of Rangamati and Khagrachhari for more than three hours

Activists of Islamist group Hifazat-e Islam have staged street protests in Chattogram's Hathazari for more than three hours after one of their leaders was killed in a road accident.

The protesters began the blockade around 8am on Wednesday, occupying sections of the Chattogram-Khagrachhari and Chattogram-Rangamati highways. Traffic remained halted until about 11:30am, police said.

Witnesses said Hifazat supporters gathered at the Tribeni intersection near the local bus stand and outside the Darul Ulum Muinul Islam Madrasa, a key religious institution linked to the group.

The protests brought road connectivity between Chattogram and the hill districts of Rangamati and Khagrachhari to a standstill. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded, causing long delays and suffering for passengers.

The protest erupted after Sohel Chowdhury, a member of Hifazat’s central executive committee, was killed on Tuesday when his motorcycle was hit by a bus near a school in Raozan’s Gahira area.

Md Tarek Aziz, additional superintendent of police (ASP) for the Hathazari Circle, said that the demonstrators cleared the roads peacefully after talks with law enforcers.

“They started blocking the road in the morning. Later, after discussions with us at Hathazari Police Station, they agreed to lift the blockade,” he said.

By 11:30am, traffic between Chattogram, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari had returned to normal, according to police and witnesses.