Faridpur protest halts traffic between Dhaka and 21 districts
Local residents have blocked the Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways in Faridpur for the third consecutive day on Thursday (11 September) in protest against the reapportionment of the Faridpur-4 constituency. As a result, traffic between Dhaka and 21 southwestern districts has come to a standstill, leaving these key routes nearly paralysed and causing severe hardship for commuters.
According to the Highway Police and local sources, around 80–90 people began protesting on the Dhaka-Khulna highway at Monsurabad in Hamirdhi Union from 7:00 a.m., while nearly 100 others blocked the road at Suyadi in Algi Union. Similarly, around 7:30 a.m., hundreds of people blocked the Dhaka-Barishal highway in Pukhuria, Hamirdhi, and Nowapara areas of Hamirdhi Union by placing tree trunks and setting fires. Hundreds of buses, trucks, and microbuses bound for Dhaka were stranded. Protesters also occupied the Bhanga Roundabout on the Dhaka-Barishal highway after 7:30 a.m., completely halting traffic from Dhaka to at least 21 southwestern districts.
Protesters stated that they would not accept the gazette notification transferring Algi and Hamirdhi unions of Bhanga Upazila from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2’s Nagarkanda constituency. “Bhanga will remain Bhanga. We will stay on the roads as long as necessary. We will inform, but will not lift the blockade,” they said.
Confirming the situation, Officer-in-Charge of Bhanga Highway Police Rokibuzzaman told Jago News, “Since early morning, hundreds of people have been sitting on both highways in protest. Their message is clear—they will not leave until their demands are met. Controlling such a large crowd has become very difficult for us.”
On 4 September, the Election Commission issued a gazette notification transferring Algi and Hamirdhi unions from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2’s Nagarkanda constituency. In protest, residents have organised multiple road blockades, human chains, and filed petitions with the High Court in recent days.