2-day hartal begins in Bagerhat demanding restoration of 4 constituencies

A 48-hour hartal began in Bagerhat this morning demanding the immediate reinstatement of the district's previous four constituencies.

Starting from around 6:00am, the all-party combined committee activists enforced the shutdown by setting fire to tyres and placing tree logs on different roads. The programme will continue tomorrow.

The committee yesterday announced the hartal in protest of the final gazette of the Election Commission (EC) that reduced the district's constituencies from four to three.

Since 8:00am today, leaders and activists of the committee brought out several processions in support of the hartal at different areas.

The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists marched in front of the district's election office, chanting slogans in favour of the hartal. They also vowed to continue their movement until the four constituencies are restored.

Md Sheikh Mohammad Yunus Ali, member secretary of the committee, said the hartal was being observed as per their previously declared programme. "If our demand is not met, we will announce tougher movements," he warned.

BNP leader Nipu Mina said, "We are observing the hartal according to the committee's decision. We want reinstatement of our four seats."

Commuters suffered disruptions as leaders and activists set up barricades at nearly 20 points in the district. Sheikh Motaleb, a pedestrian, said, "I need to go to Sharankhola, but there is no way to walk through."

Bagerhat had long consisted of four constituencies. The constituencies were Bagerhat-1 (Chitalmari-Mollahat-Fakirhat), Bagerhat-2 (Bagerhat Sadar-Kachua), Bagerhat-3 (Rampal-Mongla) and Bagerhat-4 (Morelganj-Sharankhola).

On July 30, the EC's preliminary proposal suggested reducing the number to three. Since then, protests demanding reinstatement of the four constituencies have continued.

On September 4, the EC published the final gazette, confirming three constituencies with boundary adjustments. These three are Bagerhat-1 (Bagerhat Sadar-Chitalmari-Mollahat), Bagerhat-2 (Fakirhat-Rampal-Mongla) and Bagerhat-3 (Kachua-Morelganj-Sharankhola).

BNP and Jamaat leaders alleged that the decision disregarded the public demand.