BNP activists block Dhaka-Ctg highway over alleged irregularities in local committee formation

BNP activists staged a protest and blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the Bhoberchar Bus Stand area of Munshiganj's Gazaria upazila this afternoon (26 July), demanding the removal of local leaders over alleged irregularities in union committee formations.

Thousands of BNP activists from across the upazila gathered at the protest site. After a rally in front of Mohammad Ali Plaza, they marched onto the highway.

"Due to the BNP blockade, highway traffic was halted for a while. We managed to clear the road, and traffic is now flowing normally," said Gazaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Anwar Alam Azad.

The demonstrators accused Gazaria upazila BNP Convener Syed Siddiq Ullah Farid and Member Secretary Abdur Rahman Shafiq of allocating posts in exchange of money and appointing unqualified individuals with ties to the Awami League.

They also alleged involvement in illegal sand mining and land grabbing by senior BNP leaders.

The protesters declared the two leaders "unwanted" in Gazaria and issued a 24-hour ultimatum to dissolve the newly announced union committees of Bausia, Gazaria, Tengarchar, and Baluakandi, which were approved on 15 July.

The committee lists surfaced online on 24 July, sparking backlash from grassroots leaders.

Syed Siddiq Ullah Farid and Abdur Rahman Shafiq could not be reached for comments on the matter.

Nazir Ahmed Shikder, member secretary of the Gazaria Upazila Jubo Dal, said, "Our convener and member secretary have sold themselves out. They approved committees by taking bribes and appointing incompetent individuals, even those affiliated with the Awami League."

"One senior leader has been illegally extracting sand from private land under the guise of sand leases, disgracing the BNP. He does not even follow the 31-point reform plan announced by Tarique Rahman. We, the BNP activists of the entire upazila, declare these three leaders unwanted," he added.