Thousands of angry residents in Bangladesh’s Faridpur district have shut down two major highways for the third straight day. They’re protesting the Election Commission’s (EC) recent move to redraw parliamentary constituencies ahead of next year’s elections. Local media reports say the blockades are causing major chaos on key routes.
Protesters in Bhanga Upazila blocked the Dhaka-Gopalganj-Khulna highway and the Dhaka-Bhanga-Barisal highway at eight spots, including Pukuria, Madhupur, Munsurabad, Hamirdi, Suyadi, and Bhanga Bus Stand. They felled trees, burned tires, and set up barricades to stop traffic. Hundreds of vehicles got stuck on both sides, cutting off links between Dhaka and 21 districts across the country.
The trouble started after the EC issued a gazette notification on September 4. It shifted Algi and Hamirdi unions from the Faridpur-4 constituency to Faridpur-2, which covers Nagarkanda and Saltha upazilas. Locals are furious and want Faridpur’s boundaries to stay the same. They refuse to let their areas join a different constituency.
One protester told Bangladesh’s top Bengali daily Jugantor, “We have one clear demand: Put the two unions back in Faridpur-4. Until that happens, our protest continues. We want the EC to resign—they’re behind this mess.”
Mofizul Rahman, another participant, added, “We’ve blocked Pukuria, Suyadi, Munsurabad, Nowpara, Hamirdi, and Bhanga bus stand since morning. We won’t accept splitting our two unions or dividing our homeland. Return them to Bhanga upazila, or we’ll ramp up our actions.”
On Tuesday, things got even more intense. Protesters burned tires, knocked down trees and electric poles, and built bamboo barriers, leading to massive traffic jams. Bhanga Highway police station officer Rokibuzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune, “Blockades cover every direction, so traffic is jammed everywhere. Even our police vehicles can’t move past the fallen trees. We’re clearing the roads, but talks with protesters aren’t working.”
Bangladesh has seen waves of protests and unrest since last year’s violent uprising toppled the Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This latest standoff highlights ongoing tensions over election preparations in Faridpur district.
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