Zakir Hossain / Dhaka
Bangladesh witnessed fresh unrest on Monday as protesters in Faridpur violently opposed constituency demarcation, while police cracked down on agitating teachers in Dhaka.
In Bhanga upazila of Faridpur, several hundred people armed with sticks and sharp weapons attacked Bhanga Police Station around 1pm, vandalised the Upazila Parishad, highway police outpost and municipality office, and set the local Election Commission office along with several vehicles ablaze. Journalists covering the unrest were obstructed; Bhanga correspondent of a private-owned television channel, Sarwar Hossain, was injured along with police during clashes.
The violence followed a blockade of the Dhaka-Barishal Highway earlier in the day. Anger erupted after the Election Commission’s gazette redrew 46 constituencies, shifting Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2. Faridpur DC Qamrul Hasan Molla urged calm, saying: “A survey will be conducted and a report sent to the Election Commission. We hope the issue will be resolved within a day or two.” Additional police have been deployed. The agitation came after Algi UP chairman MM Siddiq Mia announced a three-day blockade on Saturday under the ‘All-Party Unity Council’.
Teachers’ march dispersed in Dhaka: In Dhaka, police baton-charged non-government primary school teachers and fired water cannons and sound grenades as they marched towards Jamuna, the chief advisor’s official residence.
Around 1,000 teachers under the “Bangladesh Non-Government Primary School Teachers’ Unity Council” banner set out from the Jatiya Press Club at 4 pm but were blocked near the High Court. “They were blocking the road, so they were removed,” said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam.