Although eerie calm has returned to the streets of Bhanga after Monday’s violent rampage, the Dhaka-Barisal and Dhaka-Khulna highways remain paralysed, severed by protesters demanding the reversal of a controversial constituency boundary change.What began as a political protest over redistricting exploded into chaos by midday, as enraged locals stormed government buildings, torched police vehicles, and ransacked offices leaving a trail of shattered glass, smoldering metal, and stunned officials in their wake.
A half-hour of fury
Eyewitnesses described a terrifying, methodical assault. Around 11:00am, hundreds of protesters armed with batons, sticks, and homemade weapons descended on the Bhanga Upazila Parishad.
Within minutes, they smashed over 100 chairs, ripped down 10 ceiling fans, and shattered 35 light fixtures. All seven rooms on each of the building’s three floors were gutted. CCTV cameras, office furniture, and glass partitions in the Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO) chambers were reduced to rubble.
Outside, seven motorcycles parked in the parishad compound and Officers’ Club garage were doused in petrol and set ablaze. The club itself was vandalised.
The fury then shifted to law enforcement. At the Bhanga Police Station, attackers torched four motorcycles and wrecked three patrol vehicles including a large reserve van. Banners, windows, and interior fittings were demolished.
The worst destruction struck the Bhanga Highway Police Station. Protesters torched four pickup trucks, a wrecker, a water cannon vehicle, eight motorcycles, an ambulance, and two brand-new official cars. “They left nothing untouched not laptops, not TVs, not even chairs,” said Md Rokibuzzaman, Officer-in-Charge of the Highway Police Station.
“Some constables were quietly evacuated. The rest of us hid in a bathroom beside the kitchen. We had no choice. They were too many, too angry.”
‘They didn’t stop them’
Local businessman Sirajul Islam watched in disbelief as the mob carried out its half-hour rampage.
“They came like a storm, no warning, no mercy. They used petrol like water. And the police? Nowhere to be seen. No one tried to stop them.”
Neither Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mizanur Rahman nor Faridpur Superintendent of Police Md Abdul Jalil responded to repeated requests for comment.
Roots of the rage
The violence stems from deep-seated anger over the Election Commission’s August 4 decision to transfer Algi and Hamirdi unions from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2 effectively redrawing Bhanga’s political identity. Locals see it as cultural and administrative erasure.
For two weeks, peaceful protests escalated. On Sunday, organizers launched a three-day blockade. By Monday, it turned destructive.
Though Bhanga town is now quiet, the highways remain blocked crippling transport for thousands and isolating 21 districts of South Bengal. Buses, trucks, and private vehicles sit stranded under the scorching sun.
What’s next?
Authorities are assessing the full scale of damage, estimated in crores, while bracing for further unrest. With no official statement from district administration and no sign of compromise from protesters, the standoff continues.
As dusk settles over Bhanga, smoke still curls from charred tires on the highway. The silence is tense. The roads like the people remain unmoved.