Bagerhat, Faridpur in uproar over redrawn parliamentary boundaries
Residents are demanding a reversal of the Election Commission’s recent decisions ahead of the national polls.
Tensions over the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies have sparked unrest in Bagerhat and Faridpur, leaving highways blocked, transport suspended, and daily life disrupted.
Residents are demanding a reversal of the Election Commission's recent decisions ahead of the national polls.
In Bagerhat, a 48-hour strike and road blockade began today (10 September), demanding the retention of four parliamentary constituencies after the EC reduced the number to three. Activists enforced the hartal by lighting fires and placing tree trunks on major roads across the district.
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Processions were taken out at different points, with Jamaat-BNP activists rallying in front of the office of the district election officer. They raised slogans, warned the EC to restore the four constituencies, and pledged to continue the movement until their demands are met.
Transport services on both long-distance and internal routes were suspended, leaving commuters stranded. The unrest follows the EC's primary proposal on 30 July to reduce the number of Bagerhat's constituencies, which sparked protests and participation in hearings by local residents.
Despite objections, the EC finalised the three-seat arrangement in the gazette on 4 September. Under the new boundaries, the constituencies are Bagerhat-1 (Bagerhat Sadar, Chitalmari, Mollahat), Bagerhat-2 (Fakirhat, Rampal, Mongla), and Bagerhat-3 (Kachua, Morelganj, Sharankhola).
In Faridpur, residents blocked two highways for the third consecutive day thismorning. The disruptions began around 9am, leaving trucks and buses stranded, causing hardship for daily commuters.
Locals are protesting the EC's recent decision that moved Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga Upazila from Faridpur-4 to Nagar Kanda Upazila under Faridpur-2.
Earlier, demonstrators blocked the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway at the Bhanga roundabout and other major highways, halting traffic across southern districts. They set fire to tires, felled trees and electric poles, and erected bamboo barricades at nine points on 8 September.
