STAR REPORT

Demonstrators yesterday enforced blockades in Bagerhat and Faridpur, protesting the Election Commission’s recent redrawing of constituencies in those districts.

As per the new delimitation, Bagerhat lost one parliamentary constituency, reducing its total from four to three.

Meanwhile, the Hamirdi and Algi unions, which were previously under Faridpur-4 constituency, were moved under Faridpur-2 constituency.

Demanding the restoration of the lost constituency, a platform of different political parties in Bagerhat enforced a 36-hour hartal starting at 6:00am on Wednesday, bringing the district to a standstill.

On the second day of the hartal yesterday, protesters blocked roads and highways at over a hundred points, suspending communication with the other parts of the country.

Due to the blockade, the long-distance buses as well as goods-laden trucks were stranded at several key areas, including the central bus terminal.

Shops and businesses across the district remained closed in support of the hartal.

Protesters say if the lost constituency is not restored, they will enforce dawn-to-dusk hartals from Monday to Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in Faridpur, residents of Hamirdi and Algi unions in Bhanga upazila blocked two major highways for the third consecutive day yesterday.

They enforced the blockade for around 12 hours since morning, protesting the EC’s decision to reassign their areas from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2.

They blocked the Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Barishal highways, bringing traffic on these vital routes that connect Dhaka with the country’s southwest to a near standstill.

Hundreds of vehicles, including buses, trucks, and microbuses bound for Dhaka, were seen stranded on both highways.

Vehicular movement resumed after the protesters withdrew the blockade at 6:00pm, said Md Rokibuzzaman, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Highway Police Station.