Sajek reopens to tourists after 45-day closure

After a continuous 45-day closure, Sajek, the popular tourist destination in Rangamati, reopened to visitors on Tuesday.

The Sajek cottage owners have completed preparations to welcome tourists once again.

The travel restriction for tourists in Rangamati was lifted on November 1.

Although Sajek is part of the Rangamati district, tourists travel through neighboring Khagrachhari district to reach it. As a result, authorities had advised against travel to Sajek and Khagrachhari until November 4.

According to the Sajek Cottage Owners' Association, there are 116 hotels, resorts, and cottages in Sajek, along with over 14 restaurants.

Sajek Resort and Cottage Owners' Association President Suparno Dev Barman said they incurred losses of approximately Tk8-9 crore over the past month and a half. 

Rangamati Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Khan said the advisory on tourism in Rangamati has now been lifted. 

He assured that there are no security concerns at present.

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.