Constituency changes: Faridpur enters fifth day of protests, Bagerhat declares three-day hartal
Last night (13 September), one of the key protest leaders, Algi Union Parishad Chairman MM Siddique Mia, was detained by police from a relative’s home in Chandhat area of Nagarkanda
Unrest over the Election Commission's recent constituency redistricting spread across multiple districts this week, with residents of Faridpur and Bagerhat staging blockades and sit-ins.
In Faridpur, protests against the redistricting of the Faridpur-4 parliamentary constituency entered their fifth day today (14 September), disrupting road and rail travel between Dhaka and the southern region.
Locals from Algi and Hamirdi unions blocked highways and railway lines by felling trees and setting tires on fire, objecting to the transfer of their unions from Bhanga Upazila to Nagarkanda Upazila under the revised boundaries.
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Protesters maintained the blockade at multiple points, insisting that their communities, which had been part of Bhanga Upazila for 118 years, remain united.
Officials from Bhanga Upazila, including the Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Assistant Superintendent of Police, visited the sites, appealing for patience and assuring the public that the matter is under court review.
Earlier, Home Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury had issued a stern warning, urging the protesters to end the blockade by afternoon or face legal action.
Following the warning, protesters lifted the blockade at 6pm, temporarily reopening the highways and railway lines.
The disruption caused long traffic jams stretching several kilometres, leaving passengers stranded or forcing them to continue on foot, though emergency vehicles, including ambulances, were allowed through.
Rail services were heavily affected: the Nakshi Kantha train was stopped near the Pukuria railway gate and returned to Khulna at night without reaching Dhaka, while the Sundarban Express was halted at Bhanga Railway Junction before moving to Bhanga Station, where it remained until the blockade ended.
One of the protest leaders, Algi Union Parishad Chairman M.M. Siddique Mia, was detained on Saturday by the district detective police, confirmed Union Parishad Secretary Jugal Kishore Mallik.
Meanwhile, in Bagerhat, protests continued against the reduction of the district's parliamentary constituencies from four to three.
Leaders and activists of the All-Party Joint Committee staged sit-ins yesterday at the deputy commissioner's office and district election office, joined by residents across all upazilas.
The committee announced a three-day highway hartal from today to Wednesday. Committee leader M A Salam said today's strike would run from dawn to dusk, with shops remaining open, while Tuesday and Wednesday's actions would be limited to from 6am till noon to allow smooth movement during Durga Puja.
Emergency services, exam-related transport, and rickshaws would be exempt.
Local leaders, including BNP central committee member Advocate Wahiduzzaman Dipu and district BNP member-secretary Mozammel Rahman Alam, vowed to continue the movement until their demand to retain all four constituencies is met.
They also plan to file a writ petition with the High Court, expecting a hearing next week.
Bagerhat had long been represented by four constituencies, but on 30 July, ahead of the 13th national parliamentary election, the Election Commission proposed reducing the number to three.
Despite protests and hearings, the final gazette issued on 4 September confirmed the change, merging previous constituencies into three: Bagerhat-1 (Bagerhat Sadar, Chitalmari, Mollahat), Bagerhat-2 (Fakirhat, Rampal, Mongla), and Bagerhat-3 (Kachua, Morelganj, Sharankhola). Protesters argue the new arrangement ignores local demands to retain all four seats.
