Residents of Bhola's Borhanuddin upazila have besieged 225MW gas-based power plant as part of a major movement pressing a five-point demand from Monday morning.
The five-point demands include the construction of the Bhola–Barishal Bridge, residential gas connections, and the establishment of a public university and a government medical college. Demonstrators warned that unless their demands are met, Bhola’s gas will no longer be supplied to the national grid.
From Monday morning, thousands of people, students, teachers and locals from various upazilas, marched to Borhanuddin Government College grounds. Around noon, they began marching together towards the power plant. Police stopped them at the entrance, prompting the demonstrators to continue their protest on the spot.
Chanting slogans such as “We demand gas for every household,” “We demand the Bhola–Barishal Bridge,” “We want a government medical college,” and “We want a public university,” protesters vowed to continue the blockade if the government does not immediately respond.
They also declared that no gas from Bhola would be allowed to supply national demand unless their five-point demands are fulfilled.
Two power plants in Borhanuddin currently supply around 450 MW of electricity to the national grid daily, powered entirely by local natural gas. A large contingent of law enforcers—including police, the assistant land commissioner Ranjit Kumar Das, OC Siddiqur Rahman and a special team from the Navy, was deployed to maintain order.
By 3 PM, protest leaders announced that the demonstration would continue in front of the plant if the government failed to issue a decision within an hour.
Protesters said a residential gas pipeline was laid in Bhola town and Borhanuddin municipality five years ago, yet households have still not received connections.
Similarly, they noted that a government decision to build the Bhola–Barishal Bridge was taken five years earlier, and a fresh announcement was made to begin construction this December but no visible progress has been made.
Advisers recently told locals that residential gas connections would not be provided and that starting the bridge construction immediately was not feasible, which further inflamed public anger. Locals now insist their five-point demands must be met or else they will block the supply of gas from Bhola to Dhaka.
The ongoing movement is being led under the banner “We Are Bhola Residents”, spearheaded by Bhola district BNP convenor Golam Nabi Alamgir, member secretary Raisul Alam, South Region Citizens’ Movement President Mobasher Ullah Chowdhury and member secretary Mosharaf Hossain. This time, citizens from all upazilas—including teachers, students and ordinary residents, joined the protest.
As of the latest reports at 5 PM, protesters were still laying siege to the 225 MW power plant.
NR/NSA
