Re-demarcation chaos: Bagerhat observes daylong hartal over JS seat reduction
Bagerhat witnessed a dawn-to-dusk hartal today in protest against the Election Commission's (EC) decision to reduce one parliamentary seat in the constituency.
Protesters locked the district's EC office and blocked both internal and long-distance routes, causing severe inconvenience for commuters.
The protest began around 8am and was joined by leaders and activists of the Sorbodolio Sommilito Committee.
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They blocked at least 20 key points, including the Bagerhat Bus Stand, roads in front of the Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office, and several highways, using vehicles, tree logs, and benches.
Around 8:30am, the protesters locked the main gate of the EC office. They then marched to the DC's office and blocked the vehicle of Deputy Director of the Local Government Division Fakhrul Hasan, forcing him to walk to his office.
The protesters also stopped DC Ahmed Kamrul Hasan from entering his office around 8:45am, making him go to the office of the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer instead.
Leaders of the BNP and Jamaat, including former district BNP president MA Salam, district BNP member secretary Muzaffar Rahman Alam, district Jamaat-e-Islami chief Maulana Rezaul Karim, and secretary Sheikh Muhammad Yunus, led the protest.
The Sorbodolio Sommilito Committee, supported by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, had announced a three-day hartal and other protest programmes after the EC published the final gazette on 4 September, confirming the reduction of one parliamentary seat in Bagerhat.
The protesters said the decision ignores public opinion and "deeply hurt the hearts of millions of people in the district."
