People asked not to visit Sajek for another three days, Khagrachhari tourism hit hard

The tourism sector in Khagrachhari is facing tremendous difficulties as the local administration extended the directive discouraging tourists from visiting Sajek Valley, now in effect for almost a week.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Jobaida Akter, additional district magistrate of Rangamati, said that during a district administration meeting today, citing security concerns, the decision was taken to extend the directive for another three days—from October 1 to 3.

Although Sajek Valley is geographically located within Rangamati district, most tourists opt to visit the destination through Dighinala upazila in Khagrachhari because of its superior road connectivity. The valley lies 70 kilometers from Khagrachhari and 49 kilometers from Dighinala upazila.

Locals said that tourists visiting Sajek often stay in Khagrachhari town, contributing to the local economy by visiting other tourist attractions in the district. However, with the directive in place, the entire tourism sector has been badly hit.

Initially, the Rangamati District Administration discouraged tourists from travelling to Sajek from September 25 to 27, in the wake of unrest and the prevailing law and order situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The local administration later extended the directive until September 30.

Business owners, particularly in the hospitality sector, are feeling the impact. A visit to Khagrachhari town revealed that most hotels and motels were empty, and the rest had only a few guests.

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Hotel Gairing, a five-storey establishment in the Milanpur area, said they hosted just two guests over the weekend. The same situation was found at other accommodations, including Hotel Hill Paradise, Hotel Aronyo Bilas, and Borno Resort.

"Our business is entirely dependent on tourists visiting Sajek Valley," said Swapan Debnath, owner of Hotel Aronyo Bilas. "Currently, only five rooms are occupied. Last year, at this time, all our rooms were full."

The downturn has also affected small traders and transport workers, many of whom rely on tourist activity.

Md Yusuf, a CNG auto-rickshaw driver, shared that he used to make up to 16 trips daily between Khagrachhari's Nancy Square and Dighinala when tourists were around. That number has now dropped to just five or six trips per day.

Restaurants, too, are suffering. Smritimoy Tripura, manager of Bamboo Shoot Eco Food Court in Khagrachhari town, said his restaurant, typically busy between mid-September and mid-February, has seen almost no tourist customers in the last 15 days.

"Although some local diners still visit, we are incurring significant losses," he said.

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Rozlin Shahid Chowdhury, additional district magistrate of Khagrachhari, acknowledged that the district's tourism sector, including its hotels, motels, and tourist spots, is facing a severe downturn.

"We are simply following the Rangamati administration's decision, which was made on security grounds," she said.

When asked about the potential reopening of Sajek Valley to tourists, she said that the decision rests entirely with the Rangamati District Administration.