Commuters and drivers faced severe disruption early Sunday morning when the Dhaka-Barisal highway was blocked for approximately four hours as part of an attempt to implement a shutdown agenda. The blockade, reportedly led by local leaders and activists, involved felling trees and burning tires on the critical road artery.
The incident occurred at Gopalpur on the Dhaka-Barisal highway. Eyewitnesses identified the leaders of the gathering as former General Secretary of Kalkini Upazila Awami League and former Upazila Parishad Chairman Mir Golam Faruk, and former Mayor and General Secretary of Kalkini Municipality Awami League Md. Enayet Hossain Howlader. They reportedly gathered party members to announce and enforce the Awami League's shutdown program. The road was blocked by throwing tree trunks across the highway and burning tires at multiple locations, effectively stopping all traffic.
The closure led to significant suffering for both passengers and drivers traveling on the major route. The situation was eventually brought under control through the swift action of district administration and law enforcement. The Fire Service and Highway Police, with assistance from joint forces, worked to clear the downed trees and other debris from the road, ultimately normalizing traffic.
Jahangir Alam, Additional Superintendent of Police of Madaripur district, confirmed that "a group of miscreants" had cut down several large trees to block the highway. He affirmed that the police and joint forces successfully removed the obstacles and that "those involved in the disturbance will be found and brought to justice."
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