People of Bhanga in Faridpur continued blocking highways and railways for the fifth consecutive day on Sunday while a political platform protesting at the decision to reduce parliamentary seats in Bagerhat on the same day announced a revised schedule for a three-day hartal, demanding the restoration of parliamentary constituencies.
Meanwhile, home affairs adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned that the government would enforce the law to clear roads and railways at Bhanga if the ongoing blockade was not resolved shortly.
United News of Bangladesh reported that in protest against the delimitation of the Faridpur-4 constituency by the Election Commission, the protest began at 6:00am, with residents staging demonstrations in several areas, including Pukhuria, by burning tyres and logs on the roads to disrupt traffic.
At around 9:00am, protesters stopped the Nakshikatha train at Hamirdi railway crossing on the Rajbari鈥揊aridpur鈥揇haka line, forcing passengers to disembark.
Expressing frustration over the disruption, passenger Bachchu Matubber from Rasulpur village in Saltha upazila of Faridpur said that he was forced to get off while travelling to Dhaka with a sack of onions for his daughter.
Many other passengers shared similar experiences due to the protest.
Bhanga Railway Station officer Sakibur Rahman said that the train heading towards Dhaka from Rajbari was halted, causing the Sundarban Express coming from Dhaka to Rajbari also to stop at Bhanga junction.
Meanwhile, the Jahanabad Express from Khulna reached Dhaka before it could be obstructed.
On Saturday afternoon, Algi UP chairman MM Siddiq Mia announced a three-day dawn-to-dusk blockade at a press conference under the banner of the 鈥楢ll-Party Unity Council of Algi and Hamirdi Unions and Bhanga Upazila鈥�.
Shortly after the announcement, detectives detained him from his residence that night. He was the coordinator of the movement.
Officer-in-charge of Bhanga police station Md Ashraf Hossain said that Siddiq had been taken to Faridpur by the DB men, though he had not yet been handed over to the local police station.
The demonstrations follow the Election Commission鈥檚 recent gazette, which redrew boundaries for 46 parliamentary constituencies ahead of the upcoming national election.
According to the gazette, Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga upazila, previously under Faridpur-4, have been attached to Nagar Kanda upazila under Faridpur-2.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the law and order committee at the secretariat, home affairs adviser said that the protesters should present their demands through proper channels instead of holding millions of people hostage.
鈥楾his cannot be tolerated. If they do not resolve the issue by this afternoon, we will apply the law to at least clear the roads,鈥� he said.
The UNB also reported that a political platform protesting the decision to reduce parliamentary seats in Bagerhat district on Sunday announced a revised schedule for a three-day hartal, demanding the restoration of four parliamentary constituencies in the district.
The announcement was made by MA Salam, co-convener of the All-Party Combined Committee and former president of Bagerhat BNP, at a press briefing in front of the deputy commissioner鈥檚 office.
According to the announcement, the hartal will be observed on Monday from 6:00am to 6:00pm and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 6:00am to 12:00pm.
Shops, markets, and businesses will remain open, and public convenience vehicles such as rickshaws, e-rickshaws, and motorcycles will operate.
No passenger buses or goods trucks, however, will be allowed on highways.
The Election Commission on September 4 announced to reduce Bagerhat鈥檚 four seats to three despite local protests.
The final gazette placed Bagerhat-1 (Bagerhat Sadar-Chitalmari-Mollahat), Bagerhat-2 (Fakirhat-Rampal-Mongla), and Bagerhat-3 (Kachua-Morrelganj-Sarankhola).
Previously, Bagerhat-1 included Chitalmari-Mollahat-Fakirhat, Bagerhat-2 Bagerhat Sadar-Kachua, Bagerhat-3 Rampal-Mongla, and Bagerhat-4 Morrelganj-Sarankhola.