Residents of Bijoynagar upazila in Brahmanbaria have blocked the Dhaka–Sylhet highway at Chandura area protesting the redrawing of the boundary of Brahmanbaria-3 (Sadar–Bijoynagar) constituency.
The blockade and demonstration began at 11am on Sunday, causing severe traffic congestion over a 20km stretch of the highway. Passengers and drivers have been left stranded and facing distress.
Locals said that ahead of the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, the Election Commission published a preliminary gazette on July 30 announcing changes to 39 constituencies, including two in Brahmanbaria. In the new gazette, three unions of Bijoynagar upazila—Harashpur, Chandura, and Bhudanty—were included under Brahmanbaria-2 (Sarail–Ashuganj).
Following appeals on August 24, the commission kept Harashpur unchanged but added Chandura and Bhudanty unions to Brahmanbaria-2. In protest, Bijoynagar residents blocked the Dhaka–Sylhet highway, leaving travellers and transport workers in misery.
Passenger Zahidul Islam said: “We are stuck on the highway for hours and our condition is worsening. We do not know what the administration is doing. The government should prioritize resolving the public suffering.”
Passenger and college teacher Mahabubur Rahman said: “It does not seem like there is law and order in the country. A highway cannot remain blocked for two to three hours without any action from the authorities.”
Truck driver Abul Khayer said: “I brought goods from Dhaka to the Habiganj industrial area. It has been more than two hours that I am stuck. I do not know when the blockade will end and when I will reach my destination.”
Bus driver Mamun Mia said: “Drivers are suffering, but passengers are suffering even more. This is unfortunate. If they have demands, they can go to the offices, courts, or Election Commission. Why cause suffering to ordinary people by blocking the highway?”
Md Imam Hossain, convener of the all-party action committee formed to demand reinstatement of the three unions, said: “On August 24, an appeal hearing was held at the Election Commission regarding the three detached unions of Bijoynagar.
On Thursday, Harashpur was kept unchanged but Bhudanty and Chandura unions were included in Brahmanbaria-2. This has enraged Bijoynagar residents.”
He added: “They do not want to go under Brahmanbaria-2 in any way. They want to remain with Bijoynagar, that is, Brahmanbaria-3. This movement will continue until the demand of the upazila residents is fulfilled.”
Md Ataullah, joint chief organizer of the southern region of the National Citizen Party (NCP), said: “Barrister Rumeen Farhana, BNP’s assistant international affairs secretary, is responsible for separating Bijoynagar. For her political benefit, she has included two unions of Bijoynagar in Brahmanbaria-2. She wants to contest the upcoming parliamentary election from Brahmanbaria-2. Along with vote calculations, as her ancestral home is in Islampur of Bhudanty union, she is trying to gain benefits from both sides.”
He further said: “On the day of the hearing at the Election Commission, Rumeen Farhana’s men attacked me. The demand to keep Bijoynagar intact does not belong to any specific party. It is the demand of all Bijoynagar residents. Until this demand is met, we are and will remain on the streets.”
Bijoynagar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahidul Islam said: “We are on the highway to prevent unrest and blockade. Police are active to ensure that protesters cannot engage in arson or vandalism.”
It is to be noted that among 10 unions of Bijoynagar upazila, the two detached unions have a voter base of 60,000.