C T Online Desk: Tension continued to grip Khagrachhari on Wednesday following the lynching of Abul Hasnat Muhammad Sohel Rana, a teacher at Khagrachhari Govt Technical School and College, clashes, and the subsequent imposition and enforcement of an indefinite Section 144, restricting public gatherings in the district headquarters and surrounding municipal areas to prevent further skirmishes.
According to local sources, Sohel was lynched on Tuesday afternoon over allegations of sexually assaulting a student. Then, what began as a protest quickly spiralled into violence, with reports emerging that at least 20 businesses in the town’s Pankhaiyapara and Mahajanpara neighbourhoods were vandalized and looted.
Most of the affected shops, which include clothing stores, beauty parlours and food outlets, are reportedly owned by members of ethnic minority communities. Even a private hospital did not escape the destruction.
The violence deepened tensions between the hill community and Bangalees.
Khagrachhari remains under heavy security, with army patrols and additional police forces deployed to maintain order. Although some long-distance buses resumed service in the morning, local roads remained largely deserted, with only a handful of vehicles braving the streets.
Sohel Rana had previously been sent to jail in 2021 following a similar accusation of raping a student. Although he was acquitted in that case, the fresh allegations led to public outrage, culminating in the fatal attack.
