A day-long hartal in three hill districts called by the Bangalee settlers demanding cancellation of Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission (amended) Act-2016 was observed peacefully yesterday in Rangamati.

Five separate organisations, Parbatya Nagorik Parishad, Somo Odhikar Andolan, Parbatya Gono Parishad, Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Oikya Parishad, jointly observed the hartal in Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban districts.

Leaders of the organisations said Bangalee settlers living in different areas of the three hill districts will be deprived of their land rights and will become refugees once again if the government forms the land commission in such a way.

The 12-hour hartal started at 6:00am and was observed without any untoward incident.

Roads and waterways communication between Chittagong and 10 upazilas of Rangamati remains suspended during the hartal hours.

Besides, shops and other businesses in Banarupa, College Gate, Vedvedi and Tabalchhari areas in Rangamati town also remained closed.

Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Rashid of Rangamati Sadar Police Station said additional police have been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident during the hartal hours.

Mohammad Ibrahim, president of Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad's Rangamati unit, said they will go for a tougher movement if the government failed to take any immediate steps in this regards.

Meanwhile, Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad through a press release yesterday extended the hartal till 6:00pm today.

The approval of the draft Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission (amendment) Act, 2016 came at the weekly cabinet meeting at the Secretariat on August 1.

The move came as part of the government's efforts to resolve the longstanding land dispute problems at Chittagong Hill Tracts. It will be brought into effect through an ordinance.