In Bhanga Upazila of Faridpur, early Thursday morning (13 November) at around 6:30 am, supporters of the Awami League launched road blockades as part of the party’s online-announced ‘lockdown’ programme. Key sections of the Dhaka–Khulna Highway and the Dhaka–Barishal Highway were obstructed, with protesters setting fire to tyres and placing tree branches on the roads in Suadi and Pulia areas.
The blockade disrupted connections between Dhaka and various southern districts. Tyres were also set ablaze in Madhabpur on the Dhaka–Barishal Highway, although the protesters were not successful in fully blocking the road there. The blockade at Pulia lasted briefly but was removed within an hour.
Officer-in-Charge of Bhanga Highway Police Station, Md. Rokibuzzaman, stated that the police have been continuously working to clear the blockades. By 9:30 am, army personnel removed protesters from the Pukhuria bus stand, and at 10 am, police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members lifted the blockade at the Mansurabad bus stand. However, protesters remain on the Dhaka–Khulna Highway near the Suadi bus stand.
Local transport owners and workers announced a halt to inter-district bus services from morning until 3 pm. Golden Line bus counter manager Mohammad Mohiuddin confirmed that bus services are suspended from 6 am to 3 pm, and further decisions will be made depending on the situation. Faridpur Bus Owners’ Group leader Kamruzzaman Siddiqui added that buses cannot operate without passengers.
GLIVE/TSN