You must have heard of different unusual forms of protest and people who would do anything from donning slogan-plastered costumes to going underwater to even getting nude – to make a point.
The residents of Shreepur in Gazipur chose to register their protest in a way that may appear naïve at first sight but proved effective in conveying the message.
They planted rice seedlings on the muddy surface of a dirt road that fell into disrepair from years of neglect and lack of maintenance. The road is filled with big potholes and sludge accumulates up to knee deep in several places during the monsoon.
Locals said the road called Mulaid-Mauna Road was built 20 years ago and had not been repaired since. Although most of it is in a bad shape now, about a 200-metre area adjoining the Kitab Ali Plaza lost roadworthiness completely.
Since it is the only way linking the upazila vegetable wholesale market, local businessmen more than anyone are suffering from its damaged condition.
Mahmudul Hasan Shiplu, a lecturer at Shree Muktijoddha Rahamat Ali College and one of the organisers of the protest, said the road’s current state is due to negligence of the local administration and the public representatives.
“This protest is to bring to their notice the fact that the road is better suited for seedlings to be planted on it than for us to travel. Our demand is to repair the road as soon as possible,” he added.
Masum, who has a clothing store at the Mauna intersection, said, “Because of this 200-metre area the road became nearly inaccessible. Despite repeated urgings, no initiatives in this regard had been taken in the last 20 years.”
Contacted for comments, Abdul Jalil, chairman of Telehati Union Parishad, said he would take initiative to reconstruct damaged parts of the road once the rainy season was over.
However, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Aziz Haider Bhuyan said he wasn’t aware of the situation. “If people submit formal applications to us, we will take steps about it.”