Naniarchar Bazar resumes after two years

This has brought relief to local people and traders as activities of the market started again on 31 March.

Although the market has been open for the past two years, traders in the market have had a miserable time due to the boycott. 

Jhillol Majumder, vice-president of Naniarchar Bazar Businessmen's Managing Committee, said there were about 200-250 shops in the market. 

The weekly market did not hold as the hill people boycotted the market for two years, he said. 

It caused a lot of misery to the traders of the market and the residents of Sabekkhang, Naniarchar and Burighat unions of the upazila, he added.

Traders of the market alleged that people could not come to the market due to 'pressure' from the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) led by Prasit Khisa, following the defeat of the party-backed candidate in the second phase of Naniarchar upazila elections on 18 March, 2019.

At that time, the residents of the unions had to go to distant Mahalchhari and Ghilachhari markets for purchasing all kinds of goods, including daily necessities.

Pragati Chakma, chairman of Naniarchar Upazila Parishad and acting president of Rangamati district unit of Chattogram Hill Tracts Jana Sanmhati Samiti (MN Larma), said the UPDF had called for a boycott of Naniarchar Bazar over the issue of losing the upazila elections on 18 March, 2019.

But even before that, they had prevented the hill people from coming to the market, he said. 

Finally after two years, they had been forced to withdraw the market boycott as they (UPDF) had now understood that they were becoming isolated day by day due to the market boycott, Pragati Chakma said. 

However, no leader of the UPDF, led by Prasit Khisa, was available for any comment.

A local businessman, who did not want to be named, said the local hill people had boycotted the market for two years under pressure from the UPDF. 

Now the weekly market has resumed, he said. 

Though on the first day, the number of people was small, it would increase in the coming days, he added.

Ilipon Chakma, Naniarchar upazila Awami League general secretary and Rangamati Parbatya Zila Parishad member, said Naniarchar Bazar resumed on Wednesday. 

Now the traders and locals would be benefitted, he added.

The distance of Naniarchar upazila with an area of ​​393.68 square kilometres is 45 km from the district headquarters.

The upazila consists of four unions -- Sabekkhang, Naniarchar, Burighat and Ghilachhari.

According to the 2011 census, the population of the upazila is 42,965.