Tensions flared in Madaripur on Monday, November 3, as supporters of Sajjad Hossain Siddiqui Lavlu, joint convener of the district unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), torched tyres and blocked the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway in protest after Lavlu was denied the party’s nomination for the next parliamentary elections.
The road blockade began around 7:30 pm in Panchchar, Shibchar Upazila, bringing traffic between Dhaka and 21 southern districts to a standstill. Hundreds of vehicles, including passenger buses and cargo trucks, were stranded for hours as protesters vented their anger over the party’s candidate selection.
Earlier that afternoon, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had announced the party’s official list of candidates at a press briefing held at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. In the Madaripur-1 constituency, the nomination was handed to Zaman Kamal Mollah, bypassing Lavlu, a prominent local leader who had actively campaigned for the seat.
Enraged by the decision, Lavlu’s supporters swiftly mobilised, setting fire to tyres on the expressway and halting all movement along one of the country’s busiest transport corridors. Witnesses reported a heavy presence of agitated youths chanting party slogans and demanding Lavlu’s reinstatement as the official candidate.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shibchar Highway Police Station, Zahurul Islam, confirmed the disruption and said police forces had been deployed to restore order. “We are trying to disperse the crowd and clear the road, but the number of protesters is large, and emotions are running high,” he said.
The incident underscores growing internal dissent within the BNP ahead of the national polls, as regional leaders and their loyalists react strongly to central leadership’s nomination decisions. Political analysts warn that such internal friction could affect the party’s electoral performance unless addressed swiftly and diplomatically.
Traffic remained partially disrupted late into the night, with authorities urging commuters to seek alternate routes while negotiations with protest leaders continued.