Local people on Monday blocked the Sarishabari–Kazipur highway in the Brahmanjani Bazar area at Kazipur upazila in Sirajganj, demanding the formation of ‘Jamuna upazila’.
Several hundred residents of the riverine char area blocked about a two-kilometre stretch of the highway and staged a human chain and demonstration on the eastern bank of the River Jamuna.
During the programme, vehicular movement on the highway remained suspended for about an hour.
The blockade and demonstration were organised by the Jamuna Upazila Implementation Council and attended by residents from six eastern unions of Kazipur upazila — Natuarpara, Tekani, Khasrajbari, Nishchintapur, Chargirish and Monsurnagar.
They chanted slogans such as ‘Let’s unite to achieve our demand for a new upazila’ and ‘One demand of six unions — Jamuna must be a new upazila.’
Engineer Mahbubur Rahman Samun, a leader of the Jamuna Upazila Implementation Council, said, ‘More than two lakh people living in these six unions on the eastern bank of the Jamuna are long neglected due to geographical isolation. They have been deprived of education, healthcare and development. The formation of a new upazila would help end this long-standing disparity.’
He said, ‘We will continue this movement until our demand is met.’
Among others, former Natuarpara union chairman Abdul Kader and retired teacher Altaf Hossain Master spoke at the rally.
Teachers, students and people from all walks of life from various institutions in the Jamuna char region participated in the programme.
