Bhairab residents block highways demanding district status

Residents of Bhairab in Brahmanbaria today blocked both the Dhaka-Sylhet and Bhairab-Mymensingh regional highways for two hours, demanding the formation of Bhairab upazila as the country's 65th district.

They also threatened to "paralyse Dhaka" by cutting off gas and electricity supply lines if their demand is not met promptly.

Witnesses said protesters set up bamboo barricades around 11:00am, halting traffic in both directions and stranding hundreds of vehicles, causing severe inconvenience to commuters.

Later, they withdrew the blockade around 1:00pm after threatening tougher programme to press home their demand.

Speakers at the demonstration warned that if their demand is ignored, they would enforce an indefinite road blockade in the coming days.

Leaders and activists from several political and social organisations, including BNP, Gano Adhikar Parishad, Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and the university student council, participated in the programme.

Speakers highlighted that Bhairab, historically a prosperous trading hub since the British era, was once considered for district status in 2009, when a government committee issued a gazette.

They alleged the plan was shelved due to political interference, despite Bhairab's strong case in terms of population, geography, and connectivity.

Bhairab upazila BNP President Rafiqul Islam, General Secretary Ariful Islam, Municipal BNP President Haji Shahin, and former general secretary Mujibur Rahman, among others, addressed the event.