BNP men block road to protest cancellation of PM's visit
Staff Correspondent, Sylhet
A faction of ruling BNP activists yesterday blockaded Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Lalabazar on the outskirts of Sylhet city for an hour and a half protesting against the cancellation of the prime minister's October 7 visit there. Around 200 vehicles were stranded on both side of the road when activists of anti-Saifur Rahman camp put tree logs on the road and burned tyres around 12:30pm at Lalabazar, about eight kilometres off Sylhet city. However, the blockade was withdrawn around 2:00pm when ruling party lawmaker Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury asked them to remove the roadblock assuring them that he would try to persuade PM to pay a visit. Speakers at a rally held during the blockade said a vested interest quarter in BNP was trying to stop the development works of South Surma area. They blamed Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman, without naming him, for the cancellation of the PM's visit. On contact, Shafi Ahmed told The Daily Star yesterday that even though the programme was finalised a week back, Saifur Rahman influenced the postponing of PM's visit to South Surma. It may be mentioned that of the five BNP lawmakers in Sylhet district, three sided with the anti-Saifur camp since an intra-party feud took a turn for worse about a year and a half ago.
| 
