Bagerhat, Sept 11 (V7N) – The second day of a 48-hour hartal, called under the banner of the All-Party United Council demanding the reinstatement of four parliamentary seats in Bagerhat, was observed peacefully on Thursday.

From early morning, protesters staged demonstrations and picketing at different points in Morelganj and Sharankhola upazilas, chanting slogans in support of their demands. Business establishments across both upazilas, including 20 unions and one municipality, kept their shutters down, while classes at all educational institutions remained suspended. Public transport, including long-distance buses and river vessels, came to a complete halt, leaving passengers stranded. Government offices, including the upazila administration and election office, were closed.

In support of the hartal, district BNP leader and nomination aspirant for the Morelganj-Sharankhola constituency, Kazi Khairuzzaman Shipon, led a series of brief street rallies at Noboirshi bus stand, Pollimongol, Pollanbari, Amragachia, and the Sharankhola four-way intersection. Addressing the gatherings, Shipon said that the people of Morelganj and Sharankhola would not accept the “arbitrary decision” of the Election Commission to abolish the Bagerhat-4 constituency. He warned that unless the seat was reinstated, local leaders would consider cutting off Bagerhat from Dhaka and resist all elections in the constituency.

Other speakers included Morelganj All-Party Struggle Committee convener and Upazila BNP president Shahidul Haque Babul, Sharankhola BNP president Anwar Hossain Panchayet, general secretary Bellal Hossain Milon, district BNP leader Molla Ishaq Ali, and former joint convener of Morelganj BNP, lecturer Rasel Al Islam.

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