Protesters Call Strike Demanding Central Upazila Headquarters in Bangladesh

A dawn-to-dusk hartal has been called for Thursday in three unions of the newly formed Fatikchhari North Upazila, as protesters demand the upazila headquarters be established at a suitable and central location. The call for the strike comes from the Fatikchhari North Upazila Implementation Coordination Council.

Council Coordinator Nurul Amin Azad announced the shutdown at a press conference, stating that the hartal will be observed in Dantmara, Bagan Bazar, and Narayanhat unions. These are the areas where the protesters want the headquarters to be located. Government and private offices, businesses, and vehicles are expected to be closed in these three unions during the shutdown. However, essential services like hospitals, ambulances, fire services, pharmacies, and educational institutions holding examinations will be exempt.

The organizers also stated that vehicles would be prohibited on the Dhaka-Feni-Khagrachhari regional highway and the Fatikchhari-Heyako-Feni road during the hartal. Nurul Amin Azad mentioned that a previous seven-day protest program announced on July 10 at the Jatiya Press Club yielded no effective steps from the authorities, leading to the current hartal. The government officially announced the creation of Fatikchhari North Upazila on July 8, comprising six unions: Dantmara, Bagan Bazar, Narayanhat, Bhujpur, Harualchhari, and Suabil. The official gazette designated Bhujpur as the upazila headquarters, a decision that has sparked opposition from a segment of local residents who argue the proposed site is not centrally located and would hinder access to government services.

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As a result, we have called the hartal.