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Chattogram: A 48-hour hartal and road blockade began on Sunday morning in the newly formed Fatikchhari North Upazila, as residents demanded that the upazila headquarters be established at what they describe as a more accessible and logical location.
The programme has been called by the Fatikchhari North Upazila Implementation Council, which alleges that the government gazette placed the headquarters at Paschim Bhujpur Mouza, near the existing Fatikchhari Upazila, instead of a location that would better serve people living in the northern part of the area.
The council argues that the current decision will fail to ease the long-standing travel difficulties faced by residents of the northern unions.
Earlier, on July 16, locals observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal, boycotted examinations at educational institutions, and staged protest rallies and human chains in support of the same demand.
The latest 48-hour hartal and blockade were announced at a press conference held on Tuesday night at Heyako Bazar in Dantmara Union.
Reading out a written statement, Ekramul Haque Babul, a former union parishad chairman and one of the coordinators of the implementation council, said the upazila headquarters should be established at a suitable location between Dantmara and Narayanhat unions.
He said the protest programme would be observed across Bagan Bazar, Dantmara and Narayanhat unions.
As part of the programme, vehicular movement on the Dhaka–Khagrachhari Highway and the Baraiyarhat–Fatikchhari Road will remain suspended.
However, emergency service vehicles, including ambulances and fire service units, have been exempted from the blockade.
The implementation council also warned that it would announce tougher programmes in phases if its demand is not met.
Among those present at the press conference were council coordinators Abul Khayer, Nurul Amin Azad, Jasim Uddin Member, and other local leaders.