Several activists associated with the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League staged a protest by blocking the Dhaka-Khulna Highway in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj on Monday morning, disrupting traffic for a short period.

The demonstration began at around 10:15am in front of Sampan Restaurant on the highway. A group of protesters arrived carrying banners and took up a position on the busy road. They raised various slogans during the protest, including slogans directed against the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

The situation became tense when the protesters set fire to tyres on the highway. The burning tyres created an obstruction on the carriageway and temporarily disrupted the movement of vehicles. Passengers travelling along the important route faced inconvenience as buses, goods vehicles and other transport had to slow down or wait while the protest was under way.

According to people who witnessed the incident, the protesters remained on the road for a limited period. They eventually left the area, after which traffic gradually returned to normal. Some bystanders recorded the demonstration and the tyre-burning incident on mobile phones, and footage subsequently circulated on social media.

Kashiani Police Station officer-in-charge Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman said a number of people had suddenly appeared on the highway carrying banners in the name of the Chhatra League before staging the protest. He said the group later set fire to tyres, causing a temporary interruption to vehicle movement.

The police officer said the incident was being treated seriously and that steps would be taken to identify those involved. He also indicated that an operation could be conducted to arrest individuals found to have participated in the incident.

The Dhaka-Khulna Highway is a major road link connecting the capital with Gopalganj and other parts of south-western Bangladesh. Any obstruction on the route can quickly affect both passenger and commercial transport, particularly during busy hours. Even a brief blockade can create delays for long-distance buses, freight vehicles and private transport using the corridor.

The incident also comes against the backdrop of heightened political sensitivity surrounding activities carried out in the name of the Chhatra League, which has been banned by the authorities. Any public gathering, road blockade or act of violence linked to political groups is therefore likely to receive close attention from law-enforcement agencies.

Police have begun efforts to determine who organised and participated in the demonstration. Investigators are expected to examine available video footage and other information to establish the identities of those involved before taking legal action.

As the protesters left the highway relatively quickly, the disruption did not continue for an extended period. Traffic in the area was subsequently reported to have resumed normally. Nevertheless, the incident has generated discussion locally, particularly after videos of the protest and the burning tyres began circulating online.