Rangamati Correspondent
Thousands of people from Longadu Upazila held a human chain, protest march and rally on Thursday (May 29) afternoon to protest the blocking of the UPDF-affiliated group in the construction of the ‘Bogachhari-Naniarchar-Longadu’ regional link road in Rangamati. In protest against the incident orchestrated by the armed terrorist organization UPDF and demanding the construction of the Bogachhari-Naniarchar-Longadu road, people from all walks of life in Longadu Upazila organized a procession and human chain at the Upazila Parishad ground on Thursday (May 29) afternoon. The protest rally was chaired by AB S Mamune and moderated by Nurul Islam Selim. Speeches at this protest rally of thousands of deprived people of Longadu Upazila were made by Longadu Upazila BNP President and former Upazila Parishad Chairman Tofazzal Hossain, Upazila Jamaat Ameer Mao: Nasir Uddin, Upazila BNP General Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, Mainimukh Union Chairman Kamal Hossain Kamal, District Committee Coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Imam Hossain, District Chhatra Shibir General Secretary Rabiul Islam and others. At the protest rally organized under the banner of people from all walks of life, speakers said that due to the lack of a Bagachhari-Naniarchar-Longadu connecting road, even after 54 years of independence, nearly 450,000 people of Baghaichhari and Longadu upazilas have to take risks and maintain communication with the district headquarters by waterway or by detour via Khagrachari district. The same is true for the residents of Naniarchar and the district headquarters. They take risks and travel by boat or via a roundabout route through Khagrachari. When the government took a policy decision to solve such a difficult communication problem, the armed terrorist organization UPDF in the hills held 30/40 villagers at gunpoint in Naniarchar and demanded that the road development work be stopped. The speakers also said that if the road is developed, there will be no hiding place for terrorists. Public safety will increase. Reckless extortion by terrorists will decrease. Therefore, the armed terrorist organization UPDF in the hills does not want the development of this road. They want to stop the development of the hills to sustain their terrorist activities including disappearances, murders and extortion. More or less 4.5 lakh people of Rangamati Sadar along with Naniarchar, Longadu and Baghaichhari upazilas will benefit directly and indirectly. Considering that, the current government has taken the initiative to construct the important ‘Bogachhari-Naniarchar-Longdu’ regional connecting road at a distance of just 37.5 kilometers. At that time, the UPDF, an armed organization in the hills, is obstructing the construction of this road. The armed organization is conducting various conspiratorial activities to disrupt construction work. But if the road is built, the quality of life of about 450,000 people in the three upazilas, including the district headquarters, will change drastically. Business and commerce will expand. There will be epoch-making changes in the production, transportation and marketing of agricultural products. There will also be improvements in the education, health and medical sectors. Therefore, the speakers strongly demanded that the government begin road construction work as soon as possible, ignoring all obstacles posed by the terrorist organization. At this time, thousands of people from different walks of life in the upazila, including students from various schools and colleges, spontaneously participated in the Manabandhan.