Bhanga in Faridpur erupted in protest against the parliamentary seat reorganization, with demonstrations quickly escalating into violence.
Agitated protesters attacked the police station, Upazila Parishad, highway police station, and municipality, causing extensive vandalism. Motorcycles at these locations were set on fire. Journalists attempting to capture photos and videos were obstructed by the protesters, and police personnel, as well as journalists, sustained injuries, reports Bangla Tribune.
The violence began spreading from 1pm on Monday. Later, several thousand protesters took positions at Bhanga Golchattar. Earlier, from 11:30 am, locals had staged a sit-in at Bhanga bus stand on the Dhaka-Barisal highway near Golchattar. Law enforcement personnel were present with riot control vehicles.
On the ground, around 1pm, thousands from different areas joined the protesters at the bus stand with sticks, rods, and indigenous weapons, forming a procession. They immediately attacked police personnel present at the site. Ten to twelve armed police personnel ran to seek shelter at the nearby Bhanga Central Eidgah Mosque.
Police were seen running in a bloodied state after being targeted with bricks by the crowd. The agitators later surrounded them for some time, until teachers and students from the madrasa and mosque intervened to protect the officers.
Protesters then moved toward the police station, where they vandalized vehicles and the station itself, trapping police personnel inside. They later proceeded to the Upazila Parishad office, carrying out extensive vandalism and setting fire to motorcycles.
The highway office and municipality office were also vandalized. Sarwar Hossain, Bhanga Upazila correspondent of the private television channel MyTV, was injured in the incidents.
Earlier in the morning, law enforcement and army personnel were stationed in the area, and traffic remained normal until 10:30am. By 11:30am, residents suddenly began gathering in multiple areas.
District Administrator, Md Kamrul Hasan Molla said: “We are trying to calm the protesters and have informed the Election Commission. The Election Commission has asked us to submit a report quickly. If we submit the report promptly, we hope the issue will be resolved within a couple of days.”
The protests follow the Election Commission’s 4 August Gazette notice, which merged Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga under Faridpur-4 into the neighboring Faridpur-2 constituency during parliamentary seat reorganization.
In response, over five days in three phases, two major roads, two railway tracks, and the Dhaka-Mawa Bhanga Expressway were blocked, causing severe disruption for residents across 21 districts of southern Bengal.
A three-day morning-to-evening blockade was announced last Saturday. Subsequently, the initiator, Chief Coordinator of the All-Party Unity Council and Chairman of Algi Union Parishad M M Siddique Mia, was detained by DB police. Additionally, for disrupting law and order, police filed cases on Sunday night naming 90 individuals.
