Faridpur-Khulna highway blocked for 5 hours

An angry mob blocked the Faridpur-Khulna highway to protest the lynching of two brothers at Panchpalli in Madhukhali, Faridpur. After about five hours of closure, traffic on the highway has returned to normal.

After 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, traffic returned to normal after the trees and burning tires were removed from the highway.

Earlier, the angry mob first formed a human chain at the railway gate on the Faridpur-Khulna highway around 9 am. When the police tried to chase them away, they blocked the highway. From 10 am they blocked the highway from Chilli Bazar to Arkandi by throwing tree stumps at different places for about three kilometers.

APBN, RAB and BGB from Faridpur went to control the situation along with the police of Madukhali police station. Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Ahsan Talukder and Superintendent of Police Mohammad Morshed Alam reached the spot. At around 2:30 p.m., when traffic was first attempted, the highway was set on fire in the pepper market. At that time, when the police, APBN and BGB cleared the tree trunks from the road in Arakandi, the angry people hiding on the slope of the highway started throwing stones. Later the police chased them away.

Eyewitnesses said that there was a traffic jam for about 10 kilometers from 10 am. Police fired tear shells and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.

More than 15 people were reportedly injured in the incident. Several people were reported to have been injured by shotgun blasts. Many policemen were injured in brick pelting. Various forces including additional police and BGB are working to control the situation.

It is known that a human chain was called at Madhukhali railway gate around 9 am on Monday to protest against the incident of thrashing two brothers to death and temple arson in Panchapally. If the crowd gathers there to carry out the program organized under the banner of the local community, the police disperses them. At that time, the gathering divided into several parts and took positions in front of Maleka Eye Hospital, near Kamarkhali Bridge in Majhibari and Ghopghat in Bagat.

Eyewitnesses said that when the angry protesters wanted to take a stand on the highway, the police stopped them. At that time, the police fired teargas and shotguns to disperse them. After that, they blocked the highway by throwing tree trunks at different places on the highway.

Attempts were made to contact several responsible officers of the police to find out about this, but their statements were not known. Police are working to control the situation.