Protests flare in Bagerhat, ease in Bhanga

Demonstrators in Bagerhat yesterday besieged the election office demanding reinstatement of the district's previous four constituencies.

As per the EC's new gazette on September 4, the number of constituencies in Bagerhat has been reduced to three from four.

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From 9:30am, residents gathered in front of the office in processions and blocked the entrance until 1:00pm. Officials and staffers were unable to enter the office premises during the protest, witnesses said.

MA Salam, former president of Bagerhat district BNP, said they would enforce a similar programme today.

Meanwhile, demonstrators yesterday called off their movement against constituency demarcation in Faridpur's Bhanga upazila, considering public suffering and the district administration's request to the Election Commission to meet their demands.

However, they warned of fresh protests from Sunday if the demand is not met by then. The announcement came a day after violence that left five police vehicles vandalised, 11 motorcycles torched, and four people injured.

Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Md Kamrul Hasan Molla said he sent a letter to the EC on Monday requesting a review of the boundary changes. He expressed hope that the issue would be settled during the hearing scheduled at the EC Secretariat in Dhaka on September 21.

Contacted, Faridpur Additional Superintendent of Police Shamsul Azam said additional law enforcers, along with army personnel, had been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

Residents of Bhanga have been demonstrating since September 5 against the transfer of Algi and Hamirdi unions from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2.

Meanwhile, the High Court yesterday issued a rule questioning the legality of the EC's decision and asked the EC and the government to explain in 10 days why the notification should not be declared illegal. The bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Biswajit Debnath issued the rule.

The same HC bench also issued another rule asking the EC and the government to explain why they should not be directed to retain four constituencies in Bagerhat instead of three.