RANGAMATI:  A two-day highway and waterway blockade, enforced by Six Bengali organizations have been withdrawn at noon as the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) cancelled their visit to Rangamati.

Sama-Odhikar Andolon leader Peyar Ahmed Khan announced the withdrawn of the protest program at a press conference in Sulkafari area of the city around 1:00 pm.

Spokesperson of CHTC Advocate Hana Shams Ahmed said “we are in Chittagong now and we will decide our next program from here”.

Rangamati Superintendent of Police Amena Begum said the team of the commission went to Chittagong from Khagrachari. They have no information about their coming in Rangamati.

Earlier, they began the blockade across the district from Friday morning terming the CHTC ‘controversial; and ‘biased’.

The organizations also declared the commission a persona non grata aiming to halt its visit in the district.

The six organizations are Parbatya Chattagram Sama-Odhikar Andolon, Parbatya Gono Parishad and Parbatya Nagorik Parishad, Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad, Parbatya Sama-Odhikar Chhatra Andolon and Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Okya Parishad.

Peyar announced the protest program at a press conference at the office of Saw Mills Workers’ Union in the district town on Thursday afternoon.

The commission was trying to spoil the communal harmony by instigating communalism and spreading misunderstanding among the hilly people, speakers claimed at the press brief.

BDST: 1712 HRS, JULY 4, 2014