Traffic resumes on Bhanga highways after 6-day blockade over constituency demarcation
At present, the situation in Bhanga remains normal. Alongside the army, police, RAB, and APBn personnel are patrolling the roads to maintain order, while vehicular movement on the highways is running smoothly
Vehicular movement returned to normal on the Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways in Faridpur's Bhanga this morning (16 September) after six days of blockades enforced by locals protesting against the recent constituency demarcation.
However, this morning, protesters in Faridpur briefly blocked a highway in Hamirdi union, but the blockade was called off shortly afterwards.
Speaking to reporters, the protesters said they suspended their programme following assurances made by the Faridpur deputy commissioner yesterday. They then vacated the highway.
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At present, the situation in Bhanga remains normal. Alongside the army, police, RAB, and APBn personnel are patrolling the roads to maintain order, while vehicular movement on the highways is running smoothly.
Demonstrations, demanding the reinstatement of the previous boundary demarcations, had turned violent yesterday (15 September), when protesters clashed with police, vandalised the Bhanga Police Station, and the offices of the Upazila Parishad and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).
They also set fire to the Officers' Club, the UNO's office, and the local Election Commission office. Several journalists were also injured during the clashes.
While traffic was flowing on both highways today, the number of vehicles remained lower than usual, and many shops in local markets stayed closed.
Some residents of the Mansurabad area said many people had avoided staying in their homes overnight out of fear of arrest and took shelter at neighbours' houses for safety.
Bhanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ashraf Hossain said, "No blockade participants were seen on the highways in the morning. Traffic has been normal since the morning. However, there is concern that protesters may return to the streets as the day progresses."
BNP holds rally
A protest march of BNP was held in Bhanga, Faridpur. At noon, the march began at the Bhanga intersection and circled around the Bhanga upazila area. It was organised to condemn the violent incidents of the previous day (15 September).
Present at the programme were Bhanga upazila BNP general secretary Ayub Molla, organisational secretary Bitu Munshi, along with leaders and activists of the upazila BNP, Chhatra Dal, and Juba Dal.
In their speeches, they said that those who caused the violence in Bhanga yesterday are accomplices of fascism. To divert attention, they attacked various government offices yesterday. "We strongly condemn and protest this incident," they added.
However, they did not yet confirm whether they would continue their movement regarding the issue of transferring two unions from Bhanga elsewhere.
Notably, yesterday afternoon, at least 20 offices, including Bhanga Upazila Parishad and the UNO's office, as well as two police stations, were attacked, vandalised, and set on fire during protests over constituency demarcation. The DIG visit was in light of the incident.
On 4 September, the Election Commission published the final gazette on the redrawing of 300 constituencies. Under the new delimitation, Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga upazila were moved from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2 constituency. Since then, locals have staged a series of protests, including a three-day dawn-to-dusk blockade of roads and railways that began on Sunday.
