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Parishad Chairman Md Siddique, a key organiser of the movement. A case was filed under the Speedy Trial Act against 90 named individuals, including two UP chairmen, and 100-150 unidentified people.

On Sunday, the home adviser warned of stern action if the movement was not halted.

However, protesters enforced a dawn-to-dusk blockade that day, obstructing road communication between Dhaka and 21 districts in the southwest.

Yesterday morning, demonstrators attempted another blockade but were stopped by law enforcers. As the day progressed, thousands of people, including women and children, took to the streets, witnesses said.

By 11:00am, blockades were enforced at Dakshinpara point on the Dhaka-Barishal Highway and at Chhowadi on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway, halting traffic on both major routes.

Around noon, a large procession called the “Long March to Bhanga” began from Algi union and marched towards the upazila headquarters. Thousands gathered at Bhanga intersection and surrounding areas.

Police officials trying to control the situation near the Eidgah Mosque came under attack and took shelter inside the mosque.

The mob then stormed the Bhanga Police Station, vandalising five vehicles, two motorcycles, and the traffic police office. They later crossed the Kumar River and attacked the Bhanga Upazila Parishad complex.

Inside the parishad hall room, protesters destroyed over 100 chairs, the speaker’s dais, 10 ceiling fans, and more than 30 lights. They also vandalised around 20 offices in both the new and old parishad buildings, damaging air-conditioners, CCTV cameras, and windows. Seven motorcycles parked in the garage were set ablaze.

The Officers’ Club was also attacked, with its AC units smashed and CCTV cameras looted, said several government officials.

Eyewitnesses said over a thousand people, mostly aged between 12 and 35, participated in the attack, many with their faces covered and some wearing helmets. They alleged many attackers carried sticks and machetes and used petrol to set vehicles on fire.

Nazrul Islam Mridha, a cloth trader in Bhanga Bazar, said law enforcers did not intervene while the rampage was underway.

The situation began calming down around 3:00pm.

Asked, Bhanga upazila unit BNP President Khandakar Iqbal Hossain said, “Our movement for an undivided Bhanga has been peaceful. None of our leaders or activists were involved in the attacks on police and upazila offices.”

Faridpur’s Additional Superintendent of Police Shamsul Alam told The Daily Star that the situation had returned to normal and bus services resumed in the evening.

“An assessment of damages is underway. Cases will be filed soon in connection with the attacks,” he said, adding that no police injuries were reported.

A writ petition was filed with the High Court yesterday seeking an order on the EC to restore Faridpur-4 and Faridpur-5 constituencies to their pre-2008 structure.

Meanwhile in Bagerhat, a dawn-to-dusk hartal was enforced by the all-party combined committee demanding the retention of Bagerhat’s four constituencies.

No long-haul or inter-district buses left Bagerhat’s Central Bus Terminal, but shops and businesses remained open. Motorcycles, battery-run three-wheelers and rickshaws continued to ply the highways and local roads.

Protesters will stage sit-ins today and tomorrow in front of the district and upazila election offices to press home their demand, said MA Salam, coordinator of the movement and former president of Bagerhat BNP.

As per the EC’s new gazette, the number of parliamentary constituencies there has been reduced to three from four.

(Our Faridpur and Bagerhat correspondents contributed to the report.)