Protesters in Kushtia’s Kumarkhali besieged the office of the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), demanding that BNP and Chhatra Dal activists be hired as data collectors and supervisors for the family-card enumeration, and burned an effigy of the UNO.
From around 11:30am to 1pm on Sunday (9 August), protesters took position at the main gate of the UNO’s office and besieged it. Around 12:11pm there was a scuffle between police and protesters when they tried to open the office’s collapsible gate and enter. Confined inside, the UNO gave an assurance from the second floor that those appointed would be re-verified, after which, around 1pm, the protesters left the upazila parishad grounds with a 24-hour ultimatum to remove her.
The protest, led by upazila Chhatra Dal convener Sohanur Rahman and member secretary Abu Kausar Apu, drew several hundred Chhatra Dal and student-public participants, including reserved-seat MP’s representative Sajeda Parvin, Panti union BNP general secretary Kudrate Nur, Kumarkhali Government College Chhatra Dal president Hridoy Hossen, former upazila anti-discrimination student-public movement committee spokesman Ashraful Islam Tiha and Kumarkhali municipal Chhatra Dal leader Kamruzzaman Soyad.
Kudrate Nur alleged that “associates of the Awami League” had been hired within the BNP’s programme, and demanded the appointments be cancelled and BNP people hired instead, or there would be strong protests. Abu Kausar Apu alleged that although qualified Chhatra Dal candidates were available, about 50 Awami League and Jamaat people had been hired for the family-card enumeration, and demanded that UNO Farzana Akhtar be removed within 24 hours and the enumeration results cancelled, warning of tougher protests on Monday morning otherwise.
College Chhatra Dal president Hridoy Hossen said the protesters had “driven out fascist Sheikh Hasina” and told the UNO to leave Kumarkhali quickly. Former spokesman Ashraful Islam Tiha alleged the UNO had hired Awami League people from every union and that they no longer wanted her.
Around 12:55pm, confined in her office, UNO Farzana Akhtar told the protesters from the second-floor veranda to help with evidence if they had any complaints, and that action would be taken; the protesters then left. Denying all the allegations, the UNO said protesters had been told that action would be taken against those concerned if complaints were submitted with evidence.
Ahmed Mahbub-ul-Islam, deputy director (deputy secretary) at the local government ministry, said the UNO had been directed to resolve the family-card issue.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report