Faridpur residents block highways, railway over constituency redrawing

Locals blocked two highways, and the railway in Faridpur's Bhanga for the third phase on Sunday, September 14, in protest against the demarcation of the Faridpur-4 constituency.

The protesters barricaded seven points of two highways around 6:00am, and stopped the Nakshikatha train on the Rajbari-Faridpur-Dhaka route at Hamirdi rail crossing this morning, causing immense suffering to the people of 21 districts of southweastern region.

Bhanga railway station official Sakibur Rahman said the train communication of southern region with Dhaka was halted due to the blockade.

Bhanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Mizanur Rahman said they are trying to convince the protesters to withdrew their blockade.

Expressing frustration over the disruption, passenger Bachchu Matubber from Rasulpur village in Saltha upazila of Faridpur said he was forced to get off while travelling to Dhaka with a sack of onions for his daughter.

“There was no bus available, so I took the train to Dhaka. But when we reached the crossing at Hamirdi, the roads were on fire and many people were standing in front of the train. It had to stop, and we were made to get off,” he added.

Many other passengers shared similar experiences due to the protest.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, September 13, Algi UP Chairman MM Siddiq Mia announced a three-day dawn-to-dusk blockade at a press conference under the banner of the ‘All-Party Unity Council of Algi and Hamirdi Unions and Bhanga Upazila’.

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 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’s 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.

With inputs from UNB

NKB Nayan/MSU